Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is an Agent of Parliament whose mission is to protect and promote privacy rights. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) oversees compliance with the Privacy Act, which covers the personal information-handling practices of federal government departments and agencies, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law. The OPC is headquartered in Gatineau, Quebec. It also has a regional office in Toronto, Ontario, which works to promote compliance with PIPEDA. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) carries out its mission to protect and promote the privacy rights of individuals in a variety of ways. For example: - Investigating complaints, conducting audits and pursuing court action under two federal laws—the Privacy Act and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA); - Publicly reporting on the personal information handling practices of public and private sector organizations; - Supporting, undertaking and publishing research into privacy issues; and - Promoting public awareness and understanding of privacy issues.