News release
Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s annual report highlights actions taken to protect Canadians’ privacy in the age of AI
June 4, 2026 – Gatineau, Quebec
Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne’s annual report tabled today in Parliament highlights efforts to promote children’s privacy and provide leadership in support of Canadians and Canadian organizations in a world of rapidly developing technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
The Commissioner’s 2025-2026 annual report, Championing privacy in the age of AI, describes key initiatives to address the impact of the fast-moving pace of technological advancements at a critical moment in time for privacy.
The report notes that privacy is being tested in new ways as digital technologies evolve. AI, connected services, online platforms, and immersive digital tools are creating new opportunities, but they also raise privacy considerations about how personal information is collected, used, shared, and protected.
The impact of these changing technologies on children’s privacy was also an important focus of the work carried out by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) during the year, as detailed in the report’s Spotlight section.
The OPC completed hundreds of investigations in the past fiscal year, including a joint investigation with provincial counterparts into TikTok. Because of the investigation, TikTok has implemented, and continues to implement, improvements to its privacy practices in the best interests of users, especially children.
The report also highlights the OPC’s efforts to adapt to the growing complexity of the digital environment, which included the creation and implementation of an internal AI product that enables the OPC to deepen its understanding of this technology, while also helping to optimize the work of the Office.
The OPC saw a significant increase in complaint volumes in 2025-2026, which made its efforts to streamline and improve services and timeliness of outcomes for Canadians even more critical.
Commissioner Dufresne’s annual report message also emphasized the importance of domestic and international collaboration to maximize impact for Canada. His election as Chair of the Global Privacy Assembly is an opportunity to support collective efforts aimed at shaping a future where innovation can flourish, privacy rights are respected, and trust is reinforced.
By the numbers
The OPC experienced a significant increase in the number of complaints received under both the Privacy Act, which applies to the personal information handling practices of federal government institutions, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law, during the last fiscal year.
Specifically, the OPC received:
- 3,044 complaints under PIPEDA, an increase of 109% over 2024-2025; and
- 3,146 complaints under the Privacy Act, a 62% increase over 2024-2025.
This doubling of PIPEDA complaints is likely due to several factors, including increased awareness and ease of access to the OPC’s complaint process following the launch in Canada of artificial intelligence-enhanced search engines.
Under the Privacy Act, complaints were driven by a 121% increase in time limit complaints, which relate to federal government institutions that have not responded to personal information requests within timelines set out in the legislation.
The OPC also saw a 105% increase in complaints related to Privacy Act Extension Order, No.3, which allows individuals outside Canada, including foreign nationals, to request information that Canadian federal government institutions hold about them.
With respect to breaches, the OPC received some 450 breach reports from federal government institutions affecting more than 48,000 Canadians, and almost 700 breach reports from businesses, affecting more than 20 million Canadians.
The OPC closed a total of 975 Privacy Act complaints and 302 PIPEDA complaints through early resolution, which are shorter investigations that conclude with a brief report.
Quote
“Prioritizing privacy is more important than ever at a time when new technologies are being developed and AI is being integrated into a wide range of applications that we use in our personal and professional lives. Prioritizing privacy is essential to enabling innovation in Canada’s best interests and in a way that ensures the protection of Canadians’ fundamental right to privacy.”
Philippe Dufresne
Privacy Commissioner of Canada
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Media contact
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
communications@priv.gc.ca
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