Modernizing Canada’s Privacy Act – Online Public Consultation

In 2020, the Government of Canada launched an online public consultation on the Privacy Act, the federal legislation that regulates how federal public sector institutions collect, use, disclose, retain, and dispose of the personal information of individuals.

Canadians’ expectations of privacy have changed and evolved since the Act became law more than three decades ago. A review of the Act was needed to ensure it keeps pace with the effects of both technological change and evolving Canadian values.

People in Canada were invited to share their views on key issues, such as:

• the rules on when federal institutions can collect personal information
• how federal institutions can use the information entrusted to them
• when federal institutions can share personal information with other federal institutions
• how key concepts should be defined under the Act
• the oversight and enforcement framework under the Act

How the public participated in the consultation:

1. Completed an online survey on modernizing the Privacy Act.
2. Reviewed the discussion paper.
3. Provided written comments on the discussion paper by uploading their submission online.
4. Shared their views on the discussion paper in an online discussion forum.

For further information on the Department of Justice Canada’s review of the Privacy Act, visit Modernizing Canada’s Privacy Act.

In April 2026, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) launched a public consultation on the Privacy Act to gather feedback from stakeholders and Indigenous partners.