Privacy and Government On-Line

Welcome to the Privacy and Government On-Line Initiative. The Privacy and Government On-Line Initiative is aimed at providing government departments and agencies a practical toolset to ensure that privacy is addressed and taken into consideration during the design and implementation of all programs and services.

Media coverage and public opinion research continue to demonstrate that Canadians are extremely concerned about their privacy, particularly in the context of electronic service delivery. The Government of Canada is committed to protecting the privacy of Canadians' personal information used in the provision of programs and services to the public, in every delivery channel, including in-person, mail, telephone and on-line.

Privacy is a key principle of Government On-Line and its success and other service initiatives will, to a significant extent, depend upon public confidence in the privacy rules and practices that shape them.

The Government of Canada is subject to the Privacy Act. The Privacy Act entrenches in law, the right of Canadians, to control the collection, use and disclosure of information about themselves. The Privacy Act sets out roles and obligations for departments. TBS has the mandate to guide departments on how they apply the principles contained within the Act. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has the mandate to investigate and respond to complaints related to the Act.