Bill C-580 (Historical)

Taking the Privacy of Canadians Seriously Act

An Act to amend the Privacy Act (personal information — loss or unauthorized access or disclosure)

This bill was last introduced in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session, which ended in August 2015.

Sponsor

Charmaine Borg  NDP

Introduced as a private member’s bill. (These don’t often become law.)

Status

Outside the Order of Precedence (a private member's bill that hasn't yet won the draw that determines which private member's bills can be debated), as of March 25, 2014
(This bill did not become law.)

Summary

This is from the published bill. The Library of Parliament often publishes better independent summaries.

This enactment amends the Privacy Act to require government institutions to inform the Privacy Commissioner of the loss or unauthorized disclosure of, or unauthorized access to, personal information if there is a risk of harm to an individual because of that loss, access or disclosure. The enactment also gives the Privacy Commissioner the power to make compliance orders and requires that a comprehensive review of the Act be conducted at least once every five years.

Elsewhere

All sorts of information on this bill is available at LEGISinfo, an excellent resource from the Library of Parliament. You can also read the full text of the bill.

April 3rd, 2014 / 11:20 a.m.
See context

NDP

Mathieu Ravignat NDP Pontiac, QC

Thank you, Madam Vice-Chair.

My thanks to the witnesses for joining us today. Good morning; it is nice to have you with us.

I do not know if you are aware, but my party, the NDP, has introduced Bill C-475 and Bill C-580, which are designed to strengthen the legislation that deals with the privacy of Canadians. The bills offer a solution to the fact that, legally, Canada is significantly behind the times in this digital age.

My question is more general in nature.

As a national police force, the RCMP has as part of its mission to ensure that the law is obeyed. Do you believe that Canada is adequately equipped at present to combat identity theft? Is the legal framework tough enough to help you in your work?

Taking the Privacy of Canadians Seriously ActRoutine Proceedings

March 25th, 2014 / 10:05 a.m.
See context

NDP

Charmaine Borg NDP Terrebonne—Blainville, QC

moved for leave to introduce Bill C-580, An Act to amend the Privacy Act (personal information — loss or unauthorized access or disclosure).

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to introduce my bill to update the Privacy Act, which dates back to 1985. This is the second bill I have introduced to strengthen our outdated privacy laws.

This time my focus is the public sector. I am proposing two measures: develop a mechanism to require mandatory disclosure within a reasonable period of time when information is lost or compromised, and give the commissioner the power to order government agencies to comply with her recommendations.

In December 2012, under the Conservative government, the Department of Employment and Social Development lost information pertaining to half a million Canadians. Between 2002 and 2012, there were more than 3,000 violations. The problem was not fixed, and instead it got worse. We now hear that in 2013 alone, there were over 3,800 violations or breaches of personal information at Canadian agencies, and only 170 of those were reported to the commissioner.

The government is dragging its feet and refuses to update laws, and Canadians are the ones suffering the consequences. The NDP is fighting to make suggestions and propose meaningful measures to ensure that safeguards reflect current challenges. A look at our government agencies is long overdue, but the government does not take the privacy of the people it is supposed to protect seriously.

(Motions deemed adopted, bill read the first time and printed)