Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Encyclopedia
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is a special ombudsman
and an officer of parliament
who reports directly to the House of Commons
and the Senate
.
The Privacy Commissioner has the authority to investigate complaint
s filed by Canadian citizens, and report on whether there has been a violation of the Privacy Act, which deals with personal information held by the government of Canada
, or the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
(PIPEDA), which deals with personal information held in the private sector
. The Privacy Commissioner also has the power to audit
, publish information about personal information-handling practices in the public and private sector, conduct research
into privacy issues and promote awareness and understanding of privacy issues by the public.
Along with the Privacy Commissioner, the Office has an Assistant Privacy Commissioner, Chantal Bernier.. The Office also has an External Advisory Committee, which was created in February 2004.
Stoddart made an investigation into notes Prime Minister
Stephen Harper
mailed to Jewish residents.
Ombudsman
An ombudsman is a person who acts as a trusted intermediary between an organization and some internal or external constituency while representing not only but mostly the broad scope of constituent interests...
and an officer of parliament
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
who reports directly to the House of Commons
Canadian House of Commons
The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...
and the Senate
Canadian Senate
The Senate of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the House of Commons, and the monarch . The Senate consists of 105 members appointed by the governor general on the advice of the prime minister...
.
The Privacy Commissioner has the authority to investigate complaint
Complaint
In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons that the filing party or parties In legal terminology, a complaint is a formal legal document that sets out the facts and legal reasons (see: cause of action) that the filing party or parties In...
s filed by Canadian citizens, and report on whether there has been a violation of the Privacy Act, which deals with personal information held by the government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
, or the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act is a Canadian law relating to data privacy. It governs how private sector organizations collect, use and disclose personal information in the course of commercial business. In addition, the Act contains various provisions to...
(PIPEDA), which deals with personal information held in the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
. The Privacy Commissioner also has the power to audit
Audit
The general definition of an audit is an evaluation of a person, organization, system, process, enterprise, project or product. The term most commonly refers to audits in accounting, but similar concepts also exist in project management, quality management, and energy conservation.- Accounting...
, publish information about personal information-handling practices in the public and private sector, conduct research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
into privacy issues and promote awareness and understanding of privacy issues by the public.
Along with the Privacy Commissioner, the Office has an Assistant Privacy Commissioner, Chantal Bernier.. The Office also has an External Advisory Committee, which was created in February 2004.
- investigating complaints and conducting audits under two federal laws, Section 29 of the Privacy Act, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents ActPersonal Information Protection and Electronic Documents ActThe Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act is a Canadian law relating to data privacy. It governs how private sector organizations collect, use and disclose personal information in the course of commercial business. In addition, the Act contains various provisions to...
; - publishing information about personal information-handling practices in the public and private sector;
- conducting research into privacy issues; and
- promoting awareness and understanding of privacy issues by the Canadian public.
Stoddart made an investigation into notes Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Canada
The Prime Minister of Canada is the primary minister of the Crown, chairman of the Cabinet, and thus head of government for Canada, charged with advising the Canadian monarch or viceroy on the exercise of the executive powers vested in them by the constitution...
Stephen Harper
Stephen Harper
Stephen Joseph Harper is the 22nd and current Prime Minister of Canada and leader of the Conservative Party. Harper became prime minister when his party formed a minority government after the 2006 federal election...
mailed to Jewish residents.
Privacy Commissioners
There have been six Privacy Commissioners since the office was established in 1977.- Jennifer StoddartJennifer StoddartJennifer Stoddart is the current Privacy Commissioner of Canada.Stoddart received a licence in civil law from McGill University as well as a Master of Arts in history from the Université du Québec à Montréal. On December 1, 2003, Stoddart was appointed Canada's Privacy Commissioner by the Governor...
(appointed on December 1, 2003) - Robert Marleau (interim, 2003)
- George RadwanskiGeorge RadwanskiGeorge Radwanski is a former public servant, policy adviser, journalist and author. He is most recently known for having served as Privacy Commissioner of Canada until he resigned amid a controversy over allegedly too high-spending expense claims, maintaining that he was the victim of a political...
(2000-2003, left amidst a scandal over expenses) - Bruce Phillips (1991-2000)
- John Grace (1983-1990)
- Inger Hansen (1977-1983)
External links
- Privacy Commissioner of Canada Official Website
- Privacy czar likes Google stance on blurred streets
- Liberals attack over $1.2M Tory ad scheme: Demand two Tories involved in 'illegal' funding plan step aside during probe http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=fd76829d-219d-4cce-8628-44e5cfc09ad5