Privacy impact assessments
To assure Canadians that privacy principles are being taken into account when there are proposals for, and during the design, implementation and evolution of programs and services that raise privacy issues by:
- prescribing the development and maintenance of Privacy impact assessments; and
- routinely communicating the results of Privacy Impact Assessments to the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the public.
Privacy impact assessments provide a framework to ensure that privacy is considered throughout the design or re-design of programs or services. The assessments will identify the extent to which proposals comply with the provisions of the Privacy Act, regulations and Treasury Board Secretariat Privacy impact assessment policy. Assessments assist managers and decision-makers to avoid or mitigate privacy risks and promote fully informed policy, program and system design choices.
Public summaries: Privacy impact reports
Subsection 5(2) of the Privacy Act requires government institutions to notify individuals of the intended uses, consistent uses and disclosure of personal information when it is being collected. To complement this requirement and to promote a broader understanding of how privacy issues related to the program or service have been addressed, institutions must make summaries of the results of their Privacy Assessments available to the public.