On 17th November, Canada’s Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry – Navdeep Bains – introduced the Consumer Privacy Protection Act – a new bill that, if passed, will modernize framework for protecting personal information of consumers in the private sector and thus protect the privacy of Canadians.
If the bill becomes a law, companies will be forced to be more transparent and accountable regarding collection and usage of the personal data of individuals. Companies that do not comply with the law will face the strongest fines applicable among the G7 countries – up to 5% of revenue or $25 million, whichever is more.
The Canadian public will be able to securely transfer their information between different organizations (such as banks), or demand that a company delete or destroy their personal information. The Privacy Commissioner will make recommendations to a newly set up data protection tribunal and can order companies to stop collecting and using personal data.
As technology continues to develop and enter the personal sphere, this law will ensure than Canadians are protected from misuse of their data. In an increasingly digitized world, Canada is protecting the interests of its citizens and residents as well as those planning to move to Canada – by safeguarding them against data privacy threats.
Digital working and interactions have increased during the pandemic, and will continue to become the norm by which personal and professional transactions are conducted. With this bill, the federal government has taken the responsibility to ensure that the Canadian population can thrive safely in this digital space, with the assurance that their sensitive or personal information is entirely secure and sharing or usage of this information is under their control.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has explained that the law is intended to protect individuals and families in the country from vulnerability in the digital sphere. Data protection and privacy will certainly prove to be an added benefit of obtaining a Canada PR visa – and will attract many more immigrants in the coming years, as data privacy and digital manipulation emerge as passionately debated topics in the global discourse.
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