Privacy in a digital age

As the Government of Canada continues to transform the way it delivers services Canadians rely on in a digital age, it is important to ensure the personal information collected by federal institutions is protected against unauthorized collection, use, retention, and disclosure.

The protection of Canadians’ personal information is a priority and that is why the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) keeps examining and updating existing policies and guidance to ensure they remain responsive to changes in technology. Over the last year, TBS reviewed the Directive on Privacy Impact Assessment and other related privacy policy instruments including the Directive on Privacy Practices and the Policy on Privacy Protection to ensure that they remain relevant and provide the clear guidance.

The updates to the PIA policy instruments will reinforce that privacy considerations are incorporated at the design stage and integrated into the governance of new programs and activities. Additionally, more oversight will be provided by requiring that TBS is notified at an early stage of a department’s initiative to provide adequate time for reviews and discussions.

Consultation and engagement with the ATIP community, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner and other relevant key stakeholders, was key to ensure the new requirements introduced in the revised policy instruments are useful and achievable for institutions.

To learn more about the updated PIA policy instruments that help federal institutions protect personal information: https://ow.ly/3K0x50TJUEG