News

• Information and privacy commissioners issue resolution about privacy and access to information rights during/after a pandemic

  Jun 2, 2021

  In a joint resolution, Canada’s information and privacy regulators called on their respective governments to respect Canadians’ quasi-constitutional rights to privacy and access to information. The regulators took note of the serious impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the right of access to information and privacy rights in Canada and called on governments to use the lessons learned during the pandemic to improve these rights.

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• Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman calling for cautious approach to vaccination certification schemes

  May 26, 2021

  As countries around the world, and some jurisdictions in Canada contemplate how or if certification of COVID-19 vaccination status will be implemented in daily life, Canadian ombudsman are stressing a cautious approach that places fairness at the heart of any potential vaccination certification system that is applied to public services.

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• Vaccine passports must meet highest level of privacy protection say Canada’s privacy guardians

  May 19, 2021

  Privacy should be front and centre as governments and businesses consider COVID-19 vaccine passports as a tool to help Canadians return to normal life, say Canada’s privacy guardians.

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Fairness Principles for Public Service Providers Regarding the Use of COVID-19 Vaccine Certification (by the Canadian Council of Parliamentary Ombudsman)

Privacy and COVID-19 Vaccine Passports (by federal, provincial and territorial information and privacy commissioners)

Frequently Asked Questions: COVID-19 Issues

• About the Office

  Mission and goals, meet the ombudsman, history, contact information, ombudsman's expenses and more.

• Access and Privacy Division

  This division is responsible for upholding access to information and privacy rights by investigating complaints and reviewing compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Personal Health Information Act (PHIA).

• Ombudsman Division

  This division promotes fairness and administrative accountability through investigation of complaints relating to matters of administration under the Ombudsman Act and disclosures of wrongdoing under the Public Interest Disclosure (Whistleblower Protection) Act.