Statement by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to the Standing Senate Committee on Banking, Commerce and the Economy on Bill C-15

December 4, 2025
Ottawa, ON

Opening statement by Philippe Dufresne
Privacy Commissioner of Canada

(Check against delivery)

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Thank you for the invitation to appear before you today to offer my views on the privacy implications of Part 5 Division 23 of Bill C-15, the Budget 2025 Implementation Act, No. 1. I am accompanied by Marc Chénier, Deputy Commissioner and Senior General Counsel.

I will limit my remarks today to the proposed amendments to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, or PIPEDA, providing for a right to data mobility to facilitate information sharing across all economic sectors.

I recognize the importance of the Bill’s policy objectives and the importance of the right to data mobility in today’s digital economy.

Data mobility would give Canadians greater control of their personal information by allowing them to make decisions about who they want their information shared with. This would make it easier for them to switch service providers and choose which organizations they want to engage with. It would also help promote competition and innovation by allowing individuals to take advantage of new business models like consumer-driven banking, and encourage new players in the market, therefore helping support small and medium-sized organizations.

Allowing individuals to control where their information is going helps to build trust in today’s data-driven economy. For this reason, I support efforts to introduce a right to data mobility in PIPEDA, a right that already exists in many jurisdictions around the world.

Specifically, Bill C-15 would add a new Division 1.2 to PIPEDA that would require an organization, upon an individual’s request, to disclose the personal information that it has collected from them to a designated organization. This right would be subject to regulations and would only apply if both organizations are subject to a data-mobility framework.

PIPEDA would also be amended to provide the Governor in Council with powers to make regulations on data mobility frameworks, standards for safeguards and matters related to interoperability.

As many aspects of the data-mobility framework would be clarified in the regulations, including those related to standards, safeguards and interoperability, it will be important for my Office to be consulted by the government in the development of those regulations.

Thank you and I look forward to answering any questions that you may have.