On September 19, 2023, the Office of Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) released its annual report for 2022-2023. The report notes that the OPC accepted 1,241 complaints under the Privacy Act 1985 (the Privacy Act) and 454 under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).  

The report includes notable investigations into companies such as TikTok Inc., OpenAI, LLC., Home Depot of Canada Inc., Tim Hortons mobile app, and Canada Post Corporation. The report also highlights successful interventions in cases like Home Depot and Tim Hortons, resulting in enhanced privacy protection for millions of Canadians. In addition, the report highlights the OPC's special report to Parliament which assessed the Federal Government's privacy practices during the COVID-19 pandemic.  

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Philippe Dufresne, accentuated the challenges posed by emerging technologies to personal privacy, and reinforced his commitment to address them, assuring that "Canadians should not have to choose between participating fully in society and protecting their fundamental privacy rights."  

The Commissioner further outlined three strategic priorities for the OPC: 

• staying ahead of technological advancements, especially in artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI;  
• safeguarding children's privacy; and  
• preparing for potential privacy law reform ahead of Bill C-27 for the Digital Charter Implementation Act 2022.  

The report details that the OPC remains vigilant of the possibility of under-reporting of breach incidents in the public sector, contrasting with the higher number of reported breaches in the private sector.  

You can read the press release here and the report here.