News release
Privacy Commissioner of Canada launches consultation on guidance modernization
December 2, 2025 – Gatineau, QC
Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne launched a consultation today to inform the development of future guidance for organizations subject to Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law to ensure that it is timely, effective and responsive to the needs of stakeholders.
Under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) is mandated to promote awareness and understanding of privacy rights and responsibilities. This is accomplished through education and outreach as well as through written guidance aimed at clarifying how and when privacy laws apply, identifying best practices for privacy protection, highlighting key privacy risks, and clarifying regulatory expectations.
To help maximize the impact and utility of the guidance offered, the OPC is seeking input on its guidance processes, including the format, presentation, and contents of guidance, and how the OPC carries out guidance consultations.
While the main goal of PIPEDA guidance is to assist businesses in complying with their privacy obligations, the privacy issues involved can have significant impacts on many different groups, individuals, and organizations. The consultation is therefore an opportunity to gather a diverse range of perspectives, including those from:
- Businesses, industry representatives, and trade associations;
- Civil society and not-for-profit organizations;
- Representatives of Indigenous communities;
- Legal and academic professionals; and
- Any other individual, group, association, professional, or organization with relevant experience or expertise.
The consultation is a result of ongoing work focused on protecting and promoting privacy with maximum impact, one of the strategic priorities of Commissioner Dufresne’s mandate. Work under this priority aims to ensure that OPC activities are effective, efficient and impactful in responding to the many new challenges facing privacy today. This includes quicker guidance on key and emerging issues through more proactive engagement with private- and public-sector organizations.
Feedback may be submitted by email at cpvp-opcconsultation1@priv.gc.ca until the close of the consultation period on March 13, 2026.
Quote
“Hearing from stakeholders about our guidance processes will help my Office gain insights into the challenges that organizations face when complying with privacy obligations. This consultation is an opportunity to help shape the way that future OPC guidance is developed, including how we engage with stakeholders. I ultimately want to ensure that our processes are fair, effective, and responsive to diverse stakeholder perspectives.”
Philippe Dufresne
Privacy Commissioner of Canada
Related links
- Call for comments – Consultation on OPC guidance processes
- Draft Policy on PIPEDA Guidance Consultations
Media contact
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
communications@priv.gc.ca
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