Information & Ethics Committee on June 13th, 2022

[Philippe Dufresne]

I think it's important for the federal commissioner or provincial commissioners to be at the forefront of these types of issues. This is an example of something that's happening perhaps in the employment realm, so perhaps there are some provincial jurisdiction aspects to that, but it has an impact on privacy. For new technology, new benefits, again, what are the implications and how do we minimize the impacts on privacy?

It may not be, depending on jurisdiction, the OPC that would be enforcing that, but I do see a role in terms of communicating and raising this issue. I think it's important to keep on top of these new, evolving technologies, and as part of my vision, I do see the OPC as being a centre of excellence for all things related to privacy.

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

With one minute left, I just want to take you back to what I think I've understood. We've been talking, especially with the mobility data report, about informed consent, and what I think I'm getting from you today is that we move away from this idea of informed consent, take the onus off the user and put it on the legislation and the company.

Is that what I understand? Because informed consent is so hard to properly get, maybe we don't put the onus on the user. We put the onus on the companies and the legislation.

[Philippe Dufresne]

There's always going to be a place for consent, and when consent is needed it has to be meaningful. It has to be consent that is informed, and the individuals have to know what's happening and why and have the ability to opt out.

There may be situations where consent is not appropriate and it should rather be something that is not permissible in terms of use, that it is not a legitimate use, so we need both. We need a regime that says there are certain no-go zones. There are certain things you can't do even with consent. There are certain things you have to consent to, and there may be things that you're not going to be consenting to because there is such a public interest, public health, or it's not possible to have that. It's a range.

[Lisa Hepfner, Liberal, Hamilton Mountain, ON]

Thanks very much.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

All right. With that, I don't see anybody with other questions.

Ms. Khalid, you would like the floor.

[Iqra Khalid, Liberal, Mississauga—Erin Mills, ON]

Thank you, Chair.

I do have a motion to move. I move:

That the committee report the following to the House:

Your committee has considered the Certificate of Nomination of Philippe Dufresne, nominee for the position of Privacy Commissioner, referred on Wednesday, June 8, 2022, pursuant to Standing Order 111.1(1).

Your committee has considered the proposed appointment of Philippe Dufresne as Privacy Commissioner and reports its recommendation that he be confirmed by the House of Commons as Canada's Privacy Commissioner.

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

The motion is in order.

(Motion agreed to)

[Some hon. members]

Hear, hear!

[The Chair, Conservative, Pat Kelly]

Thank you to nominee Dufresne for coming today.

I will report this recommendation to the House as soon as I possibly can.

With that, the meeting is adjourned.