Government Response to the Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information Privacy and Ethics Statutory Review of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) Monsieur Tom Wappel, député Minister of Industry of Minister Président Jim Prentice Jim Comité permanent de l’accès à l’information, de la protection des renseignements personnels et de l’éthique Chambre des communes Édifice de l’Est, bureau 115 Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 Monsieur, Sincerely, Conformément à l’article 109 du Règlement de la Chambre des communes, je suis heureux de répondre au nom du gouvernement du Canada aux recommandations du Comité permanent de l’accès à l’information, world-class model for the protection of personal information in the private sector. sector. private the in information personal of protection the for model world-class de la protection des renseignements personnels et de l’éthique de la Chambre des communes dans son rapport legislative improvements that will ensure that PIPEDA continues to merit its long-standing reputation as a as reputation long-standing its merit to continues PIPEDA that ensure will that improvements legislative sur l’examen, prévu par la loi, de la Loi sur la protection des renseignements personnels et les documents I look forward to consulting further on a number of issues raised during the Review, including the proposed the including Review, the during raised issues of number a on further consulting to forward look I électroniques (LPRPDE), déposé devant la Chambre le 2 mai 2007. awareness of privacy protection among both individuals and businesses. businesses. and individuals both among protection privacy of awareness Le gouvernement du Canada exprime sa gratitude aux membres du Comité pour leur examen détaillé de la improved. Of equal importance however, the Committee has highlighted the need for greater education and education greater for need the highlighted has Committee the however, importance equal Of improved. LPRPDE. Les recommandations judicieuses du Comité offrent un encadrement précieux aux efforts continus change at this time. The Committee report usefully points to a few specific areas where the Act can be can Act the where areas specific few a to points usefully report Committee The time. this at change déployés par le gouvernement afin de s’assurer que les renseignements personnels sont protégés de manière Overall, the government shares the Committee’s observation that PIPEDA is not in need of significant of need in not is PIPEDA that observation Committee’s the shares government the Overall, fidèle aux valeurs des Canadiens et aux besoins des entreprises à l’ère de l’information. throughout its first five years of existence, and how its effectiveness can be improved going forward. forward. going improved be can effectiveness its how and existence, of years five first its throughout Le gouvernement tient aussi à faire part de sa reconnaissance aux nombreux intervenants, notamment le The views expressed throughout the review offer valuable insight as to how PIPEDA has functioned functioned has PIPEDA how to as insight valuable offer review the throughout expressed views The commissaire à la protection de la vie privée du Canada, les organismes d’application de la loi, les groupes and individual businesses who appeared as witnesses and provided written submissions to the Committee. Committee. the to submissions written provided and witnesses as appeared who businesses individual and d’aide aux victimes, les associations industrielles et les entreprises qui ont témoigné et présenté des mémoires Commissioner of Canada, privacy advocates, law enforcement and victim groups, industry associations associations industry groups, victim and enforcement law advocates, privacy Canada, of Commissioner par écrit au Comité. Les opinions exprimées dans l’examen offrent une perspective éclairée sur le mode de The government would also like to express its appreciation to the many stakeholders, including the Privacy the including stakeholders, many the to appreciation its express to like also would government The fonctionnement de la LPRPDE au cours des cinq premières années de son entrée en vigueur et sur la façon dont on peut améliorer son efficacité à l’avenir. individual Canadians, as well as the needs of business in the information age. age. information the in business of needs the as well as Canadians, individual ment continues to ensure that personal information is protected in a manner that reflects both the values of values the both reflects that manner a in protected is information personal that ensure to continues ment Dans l’ensemble, le gouvernement abonde dans le sens du Comité pour dire que la LPRPDE ne nécessite review of PIPEDA. The Committee’s thoughtful recommendations provide valuable guidance as the govern- the as guidance valuable provide recommendations thoughtful Committee’s The PIPEDA. of review aucune modification importante pour l’instant. Le rapport du Comité met en évidence, de façon pratique, The Government of Canada extends its gratitude to the members of the Committee for their comprehensive their for Committee the of members the to gratitude its extends Canada of Government The quelques aspects particuliers où la Loi pourrait être améliorée. Autre élément tout aussi important, le Comité a souligné la nécessité d’éduquer et de sensibiliser davantage les personnes et les entreprises à propos de la (PIPEDA), tabled in the House on May 2, 2007. 2007. 2, May on House the in tabled (PIPEDA), Protection and Electronic Documents Act Documents Electronic and Protection protection des renseignements personnels. Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics in its report on the Statutory Review of the the of Review Statutory the on report its in Ethics and Privacy Information, to Access Personal Information Personal Government of Canada to the recommendations made by the House of Commons Standing Committee on Committee Standing Commons of House the by made recommendations the to Canada of Government J’attends avec impatience de procéder à d’autres consultations sur plusieurs questions soulevées durant Standing Order 109 of the House of Commons of House the of 109 Order Standing to Pursuant , I am pleased to respond on behalf of the of behalf on respond to pleased am I , l’examen, entre autres les améliorations législatives proposées qui veilleront à ce que la LPRPDE préserve la réputation qu’elle s’est taillée depuis longue date, soit celle d’un modèle de calibre mondial pour la protection Dear Mr. Wappel: Mr. Dear des renseignements personnels dans le secteur privé. Je vous prie d’agréer, Monsieur, l’expression de mes sentiments les meilleurs. Le ministre de l’Industrie, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6 K1A Ontario Ottawa, East Block, Room 115 Room Block, East House of Commons of House Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics and Privacy Information, to Access on Committee Standing Chair Mr. Tom Wappel, M.P. Wappel, Tom Mr. Jim Prentice 1 Government Response to the Fourth Report of the Standing Committee on Access to Information Privacy and Ethics and Privacy Information to Access on Committee Standing the of Report Fourth the to Response Government governments. Consequently, more than ever than more Consequently, governments. Réponse du gouvernement au ce qui pose de nouveaux défis tant pour l’industrie creating new challenges for both industry and and industry both for challenges new creating privacy regulation and oversight. and regulation privacy Quatrième Rapport du Comité que pour les gouvernements. En conséquence, les and process large quantities of personal information, personal of quantities large process and • maintain a flexible, “light-handed” approach to to approach “light-handed” flexible, a • maintain permanent de l’accès à consommateurs et les entreprises peuvent, plus que greatly enlarged the capacity to collect, transfer, transfer, collect, to capacity the enlarged greatly businesses; and businesses; l’information, de la protection jamais, profiter des mesures de protection claires et $49.9 billion. These developments have thus thus have developments These billion. $49.9 Canadians and organizations, especially small small especially organizations, and Canadians des renseignements personnels efficaces destinées à assurer la confidentialité des value of online commerce in Canada in 2006 was 2006 in Canada in commerce online of value protection measures among individual individual among measures protection données personnelles, surtout en ce qui concerne online. According to Statistics Canada, the total the Canada, Statistics to According online. • increase education and awareness of privacy privacy of awareness and education • increase et de l’éthique les affaires en ligne et le commerce électronique. more than 82% of Canadian businesses are now are businesses Canadian of 82% than more key definitions and provisions in the Act; the in provisions and definitions key n mai 2007, le Comité permanent de As of 2005, 68% of Canadians use the Internet, and Internet, the use Canadians of 68% 2005, of As • improve clarity and certainty with respect to to respect with certainty and clarity • improve Le Canada a réussi à relever ces défis. Sur la scène l’accès à l’information, de la protection des emergence of the Internet and online commerce. commerce. online and Internet the of emergence internationale, le régime canadien de protection des renseignements personnels et de l’éthique has dramatically increased in recent years with