Liberal Government Introduces Privacy Bill Allowing Canadians to Request Deletion of Personal Data
The federal Liberal government introduced Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act, which would give Canadians the right to request deletion of their personal information held by companies. The bill also proposes a new regulatory commission with authority to issue fines up to $25 million or five percent of global revenue.
thenextweb.comThe federal Liberal government introduced legislation Monday that would allow Canadians to request deletion of their personal information, including AI-generated deepfakes, from companies with a substantial connection to Canada. Bill C-36, titled the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act, sets out exceptions where companies could deny deletion requests, such as when data can be anonymized or when retention is required for fraud prevention.
The bill proposes creation of a new commission that would investigate complaints, issue recommendations, and impose fines up to $25 million or five percent of global revenue, whichever is greater. Officials said the commission would include a privacy-specific division and could take 18 months to establish after related online harms legislation becomes law.
The new commission would operate separately from the existing federal privacy commissioner, whose current role is limited to making recommendations without strong enforcement powers.
The legislation would require greater transparency when companies use personal data in automated decision-making systems, such as mortgage approvals, and allow individuals to request reviews of those decisions. It would also impose higher standards for handling children's data.
This marks the government's third attempt to update privacy rules, following bills introduced in 2020 and 2023 that did not pass into law.
