Canada
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
Canada's PIPEDA governs the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information including biometric data. The OPC found Clearview AI in violation of PIPEDA in 2021, calling its practices illegal mass surveillance. Several provinces (Alberta, BC, Quebec) have their own privacy legislation. Quebec's Law 25 (2023) added significant requirements similar to GDPR, including mandatory privacy impact assessments for biometric data.
Key Provisions
- Meaningful consent required for collection of biometric data
- Collection limited to purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate
- OPC found Clearview AI violated PIPEDA through mass biometric surveillance
- Quebec Law 25 requires privacy impact assessments for biometric systems
- Alberta and BC have separate provincial privacy acts with biometric provisions
- Proposed Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA) would strengthen federal rules
Your Biometric Rights
- Right to know what personal information is held
- Right to access personal information
- Right to challenge accuracy and have data corrected
- Right to withdraw consent (subject to legal/contractual restrictions)
- Right to complain to the Privacy Commissioner
Penalties for Non-Compliance
PIPEDA: OPC can recommend compliance but historically had limited enforcement power. Quebec Law 25: up to $25M CAD or 4% of worldwide turnover. Proposed CPPA would introduce administrative monetary penalties up to $10M CAD or 3% of global revenue.
Our Removal Process
We submit access and deletion requests under PIPEDA and applicable provincial laws. The OPC has established that facial recognition without consent is unlawful, strengthening our removal requests. We monitor compliance and escalate to provincial commissioners when needed.
Get Protected