Statement by the Privacy Commissioner of Canada on Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act

June 15, 2026
Gatineau, Quebec

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne today issued the following statement regarding the tabling of Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act.

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The tabling of Bill C-36, Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act represents a pivotal step for privacy in Canada.

Protecting privacy is one of the paramount challenges of our time and modernizing Canada’s privacy laws is essential to protect Canadians and meet the challenges of today’s data-driven world.

For many years, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) has been advocating for measures that will help enable Canadians to safely navigate an increasingly digital world and support businesses in ensuring that they have appropriate privacy protections in place.

I am pleased to see many of my recommendations reflected in the new Bill. In particular, I welcome proposals to recognize privacy as a fundamental right, an explicit recognition of the best interests of children, requirements to conduct privacy impact assessments, and stronger enforcement powers.

I note that the Bill would transfer the private-sector privacy responsibilities from the OPC to the new proposed Digital Safety and Data Protection Commission of Canada, which would be given the power to issue orders and administrative monetary penalties, as appropriate, in cases involving violations of the law.

The OPC will be carefully analysing the Bill, and I look forward to providing my views and recommendations to Parliament in due course with the goal of making it the best possible legislation to ensure that Canadians’ fundamental right to privacy is protected for current and future generations.

Media contact

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
communications@priv.gc.ca