2014-15 Annual Reports on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act (ATIP)

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1. The Access to Information Act

July 2015

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
30 Victoria Street, 1^st Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1H3

819-994-5444, 1-800-282-1376
Fax 819-994-5424

Introduction

The Access to Information Act (ATIA) came into effect on July 1, 1983. It provides Canadian citizens, permanent residents and any person and corporation present in Canada a right of access to information contained in government records, subject to certain specific and limited exceptions.

When the Federal Accountability Act received Royal Assent on December 12, 2006, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) was added to Schedule I of the ATIA along with other Agents of Parliament. Therefore, while not initially subject to the ATIA, the OPC became so on April 1, 2007.

Section 72 of the ATIA requires that the head of every federal government institution submit an annual report to Parliament on the administration of the Act within their institutions during the fiscal year.

The OPC is pleased to submit its eighth Annual Report which describes how we fulfilled our responsibilities under the ATIA in 2014-2015.

Mandate and Mission of the OPC

The mandate of the OPC is to oversee compliance with both the Privacy Act (PA), 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 private sector privacy law.

The OPC’s mission is to protect and promote the privacy rights of individuals.

The Commissioner works independently from any other part of the government to investigate privacy complaints from individuals with respect to the federal public sector and certain aspects of the private sector. In public sector matters, individuals may complain to the Commissioner about any matter specified in section 29 of the PA.

For matters relating to personal information in the private sector, the Commissioner may investigate complaints under section 11 of PIPEDA except in the provinces that have adopted substantially similar privacy legislation, namely Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta. Ontario, New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador now fall into this category with respect to personal health information held by health information custodians under their health sector privacy laws. However, even in those provinces with substantially similar legislation, and elsewhere in Canada, PIPEDA continues to apply to personal information collected, used or disclosed by all federal works, undertakings and businesses, including personal information about their employees. PIPEDA also applies to all personal data that flows across provincial or national borders, in the course of commercial activities.

The Commissioner focuses on resolving complaints through negotiation and persuasion, using mediation and conciliation if appropriate. However, if voluntary cooperation is not forthcoming, the Commissioner has the power to summon witnesses, administer oaths and compel the production of evidence. In cases that remain unresolved, particularly under PIPEDA, the complainant or the Commissioner may take the matter to Federal Court and seek a court order to rectify the situation.

As a public advocate for the privacy rights of Canadians, the Commissioner carries out the following activities:

Investigating complaints and issuing reports with recommendations to federal government institutions and private sector organizations to remedy situations, as appropriate;
Pursuing legal action before federal courts where appropriate to resolve outstanding matters;
Assessing compliance with obligations contained in the PA and PIPEDA through the conduct of independent audit and review activities;
Advising on, and reviewing, Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) of new and existing government initiatives;
Providing legal and policy analyses and expertise to help guide Parliament’s review of evolving legislation to ensure respect for individuals’ right to privacy;
Responding to inquiries from parliamentarians, individual Canadians and organizations seeking information and guidance, and taking proactive steps to inform them of emerging privacy issues;
Promoting privacy awareness and compliance, and fostering understanding of privacy rights and obligations through proactive engagement with federal government institutions, private-sector organizations, industry associations, legal community, academia, professional associations, and other stakeholders;
Preparing and disseminating public education materials, positions on evolving legislation, regulations and policies, guidance documents and fact sheets for use by the general public, federal government institutions and private sector organizations;
Conducting research and monitoring trends in technological advances and privacy practices, identify systemic privacy issues that need to be addressed by federal government institutions and private sector organizations and promoting integration of best practices; and
Working with privacy stakeholders from other jurisdictions in Canada and on the international scene to address global privacy issues that result from ever increasing transborder data flows.

Organizational Structure

The Privacy Commissioner is an Officer of Parliament who reports directly to the House of Commons and the Senate. The Commissioner may be assisted by an Assistant Commissioner, who has delegated responsibilities under both the PA and PIPEDA. At the time of writing this report, the position has been vacant since December 2013.

The OPC is structured in the following way:

Executive Secretariat

The Executive Secretariat ensures effective liaison and coordination with internal and external stakeholders and provides strategic advice so that the Commissioner and Assistant Commissioner are able to carry out their mandate to protect and promote privacy rights of individuals.

Privacy Act Investigations Branch

The PA Investigations Branch receives and investigates complaints from individuals who claim a breach of the PA, or complaints that are initiated by the Commissioner. The Branch also receives notifications of breaches from federal government organizations, and receives and reviews public interest disclosures made by them.

PIPEDA Investigations Branch

The PIPEDA Investigations Branch is divided between Ottawa and Toronto. In Ottawa, the Branch receives and investigates complaints of national scope by individuals or initiated by the Commissioner, from anywhere in Canada. In Toronto, the Branch investigates complaints particularly from the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and coordinates public education and stakeholder outreach activities in the GTA.

Audit and Review Branch

The Audit and Review Branch audits organizations to assess their compliance with the requirements set out in the two federal privacy laws. The Branch also analyses and provides recommendations on Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) submitted to the OPC pursuant to the Treasury Board Secretariat Policy on Privacy Impact Assessments.

Communications Branch

The Communications Branch focuses on providing strategic advice and support for communications and public education activities for the OPC. In addition, the Branch plans and implements a variety of public education and communications activities through media monitoring and analysis, public opinion polling, media relations, publications, special events, outreach activities and the OPC web sites. The Branch is also responsible for the OPC’s Information Centre, which responds to requests for information from the public and organizations regarding privacy rights and responsibilities.

Legal Services, Policy and Research Branch

The Legal Services, Policy, Research and Technology Analysis Branch (LSPRTA) provides strategic legal and policy advice and conducts research on emerging privacy issues in Canada and internationally. More specifically, the Branch provides strategic legal advice to the Commissioners and various Branch Heads on the interpretation and application of the PA and PIPEDA in investigations and audits, as well as general legal counsel on a broad range of corporate and communication matters. LSPRTA represents the OPC in litigation matters before the courts and in negotiations with other parties both nationally and internationally. It reviews and analyzes legislative bills, government programs, public and private sector initiatives and provides strategic advice to the Commissioners on appropriate policy positions to protect and advance privacy rights in Canada. The Branch prepares for, represents and supports the Office in appearances before Parliament and in its relations with parliamentarians. Its analysts conduct applied research on the privacy implications of emerging societal and technological issues to support and inform the development of OPC policy guidance and best practices for relevant stakeholders. The Branch administers the OPC Research Contributions Program, which was launched in 2004, to advance knowledge and understanding of privacy issues and to promote enhanced protection of personal information. LSPRTA also identifies and analyzes technological trends and developments in electronic platforms and digital media; conducts research to assess the impact of technology on the protection of personal information in the digital world and provides strategic analysis and guidance on complex, varied and sensitive technological issues involving breaches in the security of government and commercial systems that store personal information.

Human Resources Management Branch

The Human Resources Management Branch is responsible for the provision of strategic advice, management and delivery of comprehensive human resources management programs in areas such as staffing, classification, staff relations, human resources planning, learning and development, employment equity, official languages and compensation.

Corporate Services Branch

The Corporate Services Branch provides advice and integrated administrative services such as corporate planning, resource management, financial management, information management and information technology, and general administration to managers and staff.

Access to Information and Privacy Directorate

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Directorate is responsible for responding to formal requests for information from the public pursuant to the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. The ATIP Directorate is also responsible for developing internal policies and ensuring compliance relative to these acts.

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Organization Chart of the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Text version

Organizational Chart
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Privacy Commissioner
- Executive Secretariat
- Assistant Privacy Commissioner
  - Audit and Review Branch
  - Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) Investigations Branch
  - Privacy Act Investigations Branch
  - Communications Branch
- Legal Services, Policy, Research and Technology Analysis Branch
- Corporate Services Branch
- Human Resources Management Branch
- Access to Information and Privacy Directorate

The ATIP Directorate is headed by a Director who is supported by two senior analysts.

Under section 73 of the ATIA, as the head of the OPC, the Privacy Commissioner’s authority has been delegated to the ATIP Director with respect to the application of the ATIA and its Regulations. A copy of that Delegation Order is attached as Appendix A.

The ATIP Director also serves as the OPC’s Chief Privacy Officer.

ATIP Directorate Activities – 2014-15

Training employees

In the reporting fiscal year, ATIP Training Sessions were offered to all new OPC employees and those returning from extended leave or temporary assignments elsewhere. The OPC has committed to training all new staff within three months of their arrival. At the conclusion of the year, eight training sessions had been held where 100% of new and returning employees participated. The ATIP office also provides sessions as needed.

Streamlining and finding efficiencies

One of the main projects for the ATIP Directorate this fiscal year was to review the process for responding to ATIP requests. The majority of the records under the OPC’s control are housed in an electronic format. During the material gathering process, this required that the Offices of Primary Interest (OPI) conduct their search, print out relevant records and then submit these to the ATIP Directorate. The records would then be scanned into the ATIP software for review. For larger requests this process could take up to 10 days to complete.

During the reporting year, efficiencies were found within the material gathering step of the process. The ATIP Directorate, in collaboration with the IT team, implemented a mechanism that now allows OPIs to submit their documents for large requests electronically. By using a shared folder, the OPIs are now able to place all relevant records in this location and allow the ATIP group to import them directly into the processing software. This has resulted in faster response times to requesters and has significantly reduced the administrative portion of processing requests.

Contributing actively to decision making

The ATIP Director has played a collaborative role in the planning, development and updating of OPC policies, procedures and directives. The ATIP Director also sits on the OPC’s key strategic decision-making committees. The OPC’s recognition of the importance of integrating the ATIP Director in its core decision-making committees has ensured that the Access to Information Act is respected.

Access to Information Act Statistical Interpretation

The OPC’s Statistical Report on the ATIA is attached in Appendix B.

The OPC received 126 formal requests under the ATIA during the 2014-15 fiscal year, which is nearly a 30% increase from the previous year. Of the requests received, 9 sought access to records which were not under the OPC’s control; these requests were therefore transferred to the appropriate federal institutions for processing.

Eight of the requests received during the reporting period were carried forward to the 2015-16 reporting year. Details of those requests will be included in next year’s report.

Requests under the ATIA

Text version

Requests under the ATIA

Year	2012/2013	2013/2014	2014/2015
Received	50	98	126
Transferred	20	14	9
Processed	36	70	123

In 2014-15, the ATIP Directorate responded to 132 requests for information under the OPC’s control, which represented 21,968 pages of information. Of these 132 responses, 14 were for requests that had been received in the 2013-14 reporting year, but carried forward to 2014-15.

Extensions were claimed with respect to 56 requests. In all, the OPC responded to 76 requests within the first 30 days and 56 requests within the extended time period. Given the complexities of the information and the requirement to consult with other entities, 35 of the 56 extensions claimed were for more than 30 days.

Of the 132 requests completed during the fiscal year, 21 were for records relating to the data breach that the OPC suffered during its move from Ottawa to Gatineau, 15 were for correspondence sent and/or received by the Commissioner, 13 sought access to information regarding privacy breaches that were reported to the OPC from federal government departments, 10 were for information regarding lawful access, 5 were for the contents of PA or PIPEDA investigation files and the remainder were for miscellaneous information.

The OPC endeavors to release as much information as possible. In 24 of the 132 requests processed, the documents were released in their entirety, in 80 cases the OPC made partial releases, and in only three instances was the information withheld entirely. Of the remaining requests, four were abandoned by the applicants and in 12 cases no relevant records were found.

Section 16.1(1)(d) of the ATIA prohibits the OPC from releasing information it obtained during the course of its investigations or audits, even after the matter and all related proceedings have been concluded. The OPC, however, cannot refuse to disclose information it created during the course of an investigation or audit, once they and any related proceedings are completed – and subject to any applicable exemptions. With respect to requests for access to PA and PIPEDA investigation files, none were disclosed in their entirety—all had some information withheld under section 16.1(1)(d) and, in some cases, information was withheld under one or more of sections 19(1), 20(1)(b), 20(1)(c), 21(1)(a), 21(1)(b) and 23 as well.

As was the case in the previous reporting years, the exemption provision invoked most often was section 19(1) concerning the personal information of others, followed closely by section 16.1(1)(d) with respect to information the OPC received or created during the course of an investigation and section 20 which protects information about a third party. In other cases this year the OPC also withheld information under one or more of sections 13(1), 15(1), 16(1)(b), (c), (d), 16(2)(c), 17, 21(1)(a), (b), (c) and (d) and 23 of the ATIA.

Requests under ATIA by Source

Requests under the ATIA by source

Text version

Requests under the ATIA by Source

Year	2012/2013	2013/2014	2014/2015
Media	9	37	45
Business	8	5	60
Public	28	53	21
Academia	3	2	0
Organization	2	1	0

Of the 126 requests received this fiscal year, 60 were submitted by businesses (48%), 45 by the media (35%) and 21 by the public (17%).

In addition to processing its own ATIA requests, the OPC was consulted on 29 occasions on a total of 1,061 pages. The Treasury Board Secretariat consulted our Office the most often, requesting our representations on seven occasions; the Canada Border Services Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Justice Canada, the Office of the Information Commissioner, the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages and Public Works and Government Services Canada consulted our Office on two occasions. We were consulted once by 10 other institutions. In 23 of the 29 cases, the OPC recommended full disclosure of the requested records.

Application fees amounted to $605.00 during the reporting period. In five instances the OPC waived the application fees. None of the requests required the assessment of reproduction fees, search fees, preparation fees or computer processing time.

In most cases where records were provided, electronic copies were given to the individuals. No one asked to be given access by viewing the records.

Access to Information Act complaints against the OPC

This fiscal year the OPC received no notifications of complaints by the OIC for complaints under the ATIA. The three ATIA complaints that were referenced in our 2013-14 report remained outstanding at the end of the 2014-15 reporting period. We anticipate receiving findings with respect to these complaints in 2015-16.

For additional information on the OPC’s activities, please visit www.priv.gc.ca.
Additional copies of this report may be obtained from:

Director, Access to Information and Privacy
Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
30 Victoria Street, 1st Floor
Gatineau, Quebec K1A 1H3

Appendix A – Access to Information Act
Delegation Order

The Interim Privacy Commissioner of Canada, as the head of the government institution, hereby designates pursuant to section 73 of the Access to Information Act, the person holding the position set out below, or the person occupying on an acting basis that position, to exercise the powers, duties or functions of the Privacy Commissioner as specified below and as more fully described in Annex A:

Position	Sections of Access to Information Act
Director, ATIP	Act: 4(2.1), 7, 8(1), 9, 11(2) to (6), 12(2) and (3), 13 to 24, 25, 26, 27(1) and (4), 28(1), (2) and (4), 29(1), 32, 33, 35(2), 37(1) and (4), 43(1), 44(2), 52(2) and (3), 69, 71, 72(1); and Regulations: 5, 6,(1), 7(2) and (3), 8, and 8.1.

This delegation of authority supersedes any previous delegation of the powers, duties and functions set out herein.

Dated at the City of Ottawa, this 9^th day of January, 2014.

(Original signed by)

Chantal Bernier
Interim Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Access to Information Act

12(3)Decide whether to give access in an alternative format

4(2.1)	Shall assist the person in connection with the request, respond to the request accurately and completely and provide timely access in the format requested
7	Respond to request for access within 30 days; give access or give notice
8(1)	Transfer of Request to government institution with greater interest
9	Extend time limit for responding to request for access
11(2), (3), (4), (5), (6)	Additional fees
12(2)(b)	Decide whether to translate requested record
13(1)	Shall refuse to disclose information obtained in confidence from another government
13(2)	May disclose any information referred to in 13(1) if the other government consents to the disclosure or makes the information public
14	May refuse to disclose information injurious to the conduct of federal-provincial affairs
15	May refuse to disclose information injurious to international affairs or defence
16	Series of discretionary exemptions related to law enforcement and investigations; security; and policing services for provinces or municipalities.
16.1(1)	In force April 1, 2007 - Specific to four named Officers of Parliament - Auditor General, Commissioner of Official Languages, Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner - shall refuse to disclose information obtained or created by them in the course of an investigation or audit
16.1(2)	In force April 1, 2007 - Specific to two named Officers of Parliament – Information and Privacy Commissioner - shall not refuse under 16.1(1) to disclose any information created by the Commissioner in the course of an investigation or audit once the investigation or audit and related proceedings are concluded
17	May refuse to disclose information which could threaten the safety of individuals
18	May refuse to disclose information related to economic interests of Canada
18.1(1)	May refuse to disclose confidential commercial information of Canada Post Corporation, Export Development Canada, Public Sector Pension Investment Board, or VIA Rail Inc.
18.1(2)	Shall not refuse under 18.1(1) to disclose information relating to general administration of the institution
19	Shall refuse to disclose personal information as defined in section 3 of the Privacy Act, but may disclose if individual consents, if information is publicly available, or disclosure is in accordance with section 8 of Privacy Act
20	Shall refuse to disclose third party information, subject to exceptions
21	May refuse to disclose records containing advice or recommendations
22	May refuse to disclose information relating to testing or auditing procedures
22.1	May refuse to disclose draft report of an internal audit
23	May refuse to disclose information subject to solicitor/client privilege
24	Shall refuse to disclose information where statutory prohibition (Schedule II)
25	Shall disclose any part of record that can reasonably be severed
26	May refuse to disclose where information to be published
27(1),(4)	Third party notification
28(1),(2),(4)	Receive representations of third party
29(1)	Disclosure on recommendation of Information Commissioner
32	Receive notice of investigation by Information Commissioner
33	Advise Information Commissioner of third party involvement
35(2)	Right to make representations to the Information Commissioner during an investigation
37(1)	Receive Information Commissioner’s report of findings of the investigation and give notice of action taken
37(4)	Give complainant access to information after 37(1)(b) notice
43(1)	Notice to third party (application to Federal court for review)
44(2)	Notice to applicant (application to federal Court by third party)
52(2)(b)	Request that section 52 hearing be held in the National Capital Region
52(3)	Request and be given right to make representations in section 51 hearings
69	Refuse to provide information that is excluded from the Act as a cabinet confidence
71	Provide facilities for public to inspect manuals; exempt information may be severed from manuals
72(1)	Prepare annual report to Parliament

Access to Information Regulations

5	Inform requester of certain procedures regarding access
6(1)	Procedures relating to transfer of access request to another government institution under 8(1) of the Act
7(2) and (3)	Require payment of additional fees for access in certain situations
8	Form of Access
8.1	Determinations with respect to the conversion of records into different formats

Appendix B – Statistical Report

Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

Name of institution: Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

Reporting period: 01/04/2014 to 31/03/2015

Part 1 – Requests under the Access to Information Act

**1.1 Number of Requests**
	Number of Requests
Received during reporting period	126
Outstanding from previous reporting period	14
Total	140
Closed during reporting period	132
Carried over to next reporting period	8

**1.2 Sources of requests**
Source	Number of Requests
Media	45
Academia	0
Business (Private Sector)	60
Organization	0
Public	21
Decline to Identify	0
Total	126

Completion Time1 to 15 days16 to 30 days31 to 60 days61 to 120 days121 to 180 days181 to 365 daysMore than 365 daysTotal

**1.3 Disposition and completion time**
50	0	0	1	1	0	0	52

Part 2 - Requests closed during the reporting period

**2.1 Disposition and completion time**
Disposition of requests	Completion Time
Disposition of requests	1 to 15 days	16 to 30 days	31 to 60 days	61 to 120 days	121 to 180 days	181 to 365 days	More than 365 days	Total
All disclosed	3	18	2	1	0	0	0	24
Disclosed in part	0	27	19	30	4	0	0	80
All exempted	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	3
All excluded	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
No records exist	7	5	0	0	0	0	0	12
Request transferred	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	9
Request abandoned	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	4
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	24	52	21	31	4	0	0	132

**2.2 Exemptions**
Section	Number of requests	Section	Number of requests	Section	Number of requests	Section	Number of requests
Footnote 1 This is an example of an english footnote. Return to footnote * Footnote 2 This is an example of an english footnote. Return to footnote Footnote 3 This is an example of an english footnote. Return to footnote *
13(1)(a)	3	16(2)	2	18(a)	0	20.1	0
13(1)(b)	0	16(2)(a)	0	18(b)	0	20.2	0
13(1)(c)	0	16(2)(b)	0	18(c)	0	20.4	0
13(1)(d)	1	16(2)(c)	14	18(d)	0	21(1)(a)	6
13(1)(e)	0	16(3)	0	18.1(1)(a)	1	21(1)(b)	11
14	0	16.1(1)(a)	0	18.1(1)(b)	1	21(1)(c)	1
14(a)	0	16.1(1)(b)	0	18.1(1)(c)	0	21(1)(d)	1
14(b)	0	16.1(1)(c)	0	18.1(1)(d)	0	22	0
15(1)	7	16.1(1)(d)	22	19(1)	70	22.1(1)	0
15(1) - I.A.^{Footnote *}	0	16.2(1)	0	20(1)(a)	32	23	15
15(1) - Def.^{Footnote **}	0	16.3	0	20(1)(b)	7	24(1)	1
15(1) - S.A.^{Footnote ***}	0	16.4(1)(a)	0	20(1)(b.1)	0	26	1
16(1)(a)(i)	0	16.4(1)(b)	0	20(1)(c)	18
16(1)(a)(ii)	0	16.5	0	20(1)(d)	0
16(1)(a)(iii)	0	17	3
16(1)(b)	1
16(1)(c)	5
16(1)(d)	4

**2.3 Exclusions**
Section	Number of requests	Section	Section
68(a)	1	69(1)(a)	69(1)(g) re (a)
68(b)	0	69(1)(b)	69(1)(g) re (b)
68(c)	0	69(1)(c)	69(1)(g) re (c)
68.1	0	69(1)(d)	69(1)(g) re (d)
68.2(a)	0	69(1)(e)	69(1)(g) re (e)
68.2(b)	0	69(1)(f)	69(1)(g) re (f)

**2.4 Format of information released**
Disposition	Paper	Electronic
All disclosed	16	8
Disclosed in part	30	50
Total	46	58

2.5 Complexity

**2.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed**
Disposition of Requests	Number of Pages Processed	Number of Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests
All disclosed	661	502	24
Disclosed in part	21147	15461	80
All exempted	160	0	3
All excluded	0	0	0
Request abandoned	0	0	4
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0

2.5.2 Relevant pages processed and disclosed by size of requests

Disposition	Less than 100 Pages Processed		101-500 Pages Processed		501-1000 Pages Processed		1001-5000 Pages Processed		More than 5000 Pages Processed
Disposition	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed
All disclosed	22	278	2	224	0	0	0	0	0	0
Disclosed in part	29	803	42	9132	5	1617	4	3909	0	0
All exempted	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Request abandoned	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	57	1081	45	9356	5	1617	4	3909	0	0

**2.5.3 Other complexities**
Disposition	Consultation Required	Legal Advice Sought	Total
All disclosed	2	0	2
Disclosed in part	39	1	40
All exempted	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0
Abandoned	0	0	0
Neither confirmed nor denied	0	0	0
Total	41	1	42

2.6 Deemed refusals

**2.6.1 Reasons for not meeting statutory deadline**
Number of Requests Closed Past the Statutory Deadline	Principal Reason
Number of Requests Closed Past the Statutory Deadline	Workload	External Consultation	Internal Consultation	Other
0	0	0	0	0

**2.6.2 Number of days past deadline**
Number of Days Past Deadline	Number of Requests Past Deadline Where No Extension Was Taken	Number of Requests Past Deadline Where an Extension Was Taken	Total
1 to 15 days	0	0	0
16 to 30 days	0	0	0
31 to 60 days	0	0	0
61 to 120 days	0	0	0
121 to 180 days	0	0	0
181 to 365 days	0	0	0
More than 365 days	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0

**2.7 Requests for translation**
Translation Requests	Accepted	Refused	Total
English to French	0	0	0
French to English	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0

Part 3 - Extensions

**3.1 Reasons for extensions and disposition of requests**
Disposition of Requests Where an Extension was Taken	9(1)(a) Interference With Operations	9(1)(b) Consultation		9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
Disposition of Requests Where an Extension was Taken	9(1)(a) Interference With Operations	Section 69	Other	9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
All disclosed	1	0	2	0
Disclosed in part	21	0	31	4
All exempted	0	0	0	0
All excluded	0	0	0	0
No records exist	0	0	0	0
Request abandoned	0	0	0	0
Total	22	0	33	4

**3.2 Length of extensions**
Length of Extensions	9(1)(a) Interference With Operations	9(1)(b) Consultation		9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
Length of Extensions	9(1)(a) Interference With Operations	Section 69	Other	9(1)(c) Third-Party Notice
30 days or less	19	0	5	0
31 to 60 days	3	0	25	0
61 to 120 days	0	0	2	4
121 to 180 days	0	0	1	0
181 to 365 days	0	0	0	0
365 days or more	0	0	0	0
Total	22	0	33	4

Part 4 - Fees

Fee Type	Fee Collected		Fee Waived or Refunded
Fee Type	Number of Requests	Amount	Number of Requests	Amount
Application	121	$605	6	$30
Search	0	$0	0	$0
Production	0	$0	0	$0
Programming	0	$0	0	$0
Preparation	0	$0	0	$0
Alternative format	0	$0	0	$0
Reproduction	0	$0	0	$0
Total	121	$605	6	$30

Part 5 - Consultations Received from other Government of Canada institutions and organizations

**5.1 Consultations received from other government institutions and organizations**
Consultations	Other Government of Canada Institutions	Number of Pages to Review	Other Organizations
Received during reporting period	28	1056	1
Outstanding from the previous reporting period	1	5	0
Total	29	1061	1
Closed during the reporting period	29	1061	1
Pending at the end of the reporting period	0	0	0

**5.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions**
Recommendation	Number of days required to complete consultation requests
Recommendation	1 to 15 days	16 to 30 days	31 to 60 days	61 to 120 days	121 to 180 days	181 to 365 days	More than 365 days	Total
Disclose entirely	21	1	1	0	0	0	0	23
Disclose in part	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	4
Exempt entirely	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
Exclude entirely	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Consult other institution	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	26	2	1	0	0	0	0	29

**5.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations**
Recommendation	Number of days required to complete consultation requests
Recommendation	1 to 15 days	16 to 30 days	31 to 60 days	61 to 120 days	121 to 180 days	181 to 365 days	More than 365 days	Total
Disclose entirely	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Disclose in part	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1
Exempt entirely	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Exclude entirely	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Consult other institution	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Other	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1

Part 6 - Completion time of consultations on Cabinet confidences

6.1 Requests with Legal Services

Number of Days	Fewer than 100 Pages Processed		101-500 Pages Processed		501-1000 Pages Processed		1001-5000 Pages Processed		More than 5000 Pages Processed
Number of Days	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed
1 to 15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
16 to 30	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
31 to 60	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
61 to 120	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
121 to 180	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
181 to 365	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
More than 365	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

6.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Number of Days	Fewer than 100 Pages Processed		101-500 Pages Processed		501-1000 Pages Processed		1001-5000 Pages Processed		More than 5000 Pages Processed
Number of Days	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed	Number of Requests	Pages Disclosed
1 to 15	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
16 to 30	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
31 to 60	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
61 to 120	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
121 to 180	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
181 to 365	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
More than 365	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Total	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

Part 7 - Complaints and Investigations

Section 32	Section 35	Section 37	Total
0	0	0	0

Part 8 - Court Action

Section 41	Section 42	Section 44	Total
0	0	0	0

Part 9 - Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

**9.1 Costs**
Expenditures		Amount
Salaries		$157,617
Overtime		$0
Goods and Services		$1,772
Professional services contracts	$1,772
Other	$0
Total		$159,389

**9.2 Human Resources**
Resources	Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities
Full-time employees	1.96
Part-time and casual employees	0.00
Regional staff	0.00
Consultants and agency personnel	0.00
Students	0.00
Total	1.96

2. The Privacy Act

July 2015

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
30 Victoria Street, 1^st Floor
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1H3

819-994-5444, 1-800-282-1376
Fax 819-994-5424

Introduction

The Privacy Act (PA) came into effect on July 1, 1983. The Act imposes obligations on federal government departments and agencies to respect the privacy rights of individuals by limiting the collection, use and disclosure of personal information. The Act also gives individuals the right of access to their personal information and the right to request the correction of that information.

When the Federal Accountability Act received Royal Assent on December 12, 2006, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) was added to the Schedule of the Privacy Act along with other Agents of Parliament. Therefore, while not initially subject to the Act, the OPC became so on April 1, 2007.

Section 72 of the Act requires that the head of every federal government institution submit an annual report to Parliament on the administration of the Actwithin their institutions during the fiscal year.

The OPC is pleased to submit its eighth Annual Report which describes how we fulfilled our responsibilities under the Privacy Act in 2014-15.

Mandate and Mission of the OPC

The OPC’s mission is to protect and promote the privacy rights of individuals.

As a public advocate for the privacy rights of Canadians, the Commissioner carries out the following activities:

Investigating complaints and issuing reports with recommendations to federal government institutions and private sector organizations to remedy situations, as appropriate;
Pursuing legal action before federal courts where appropriate to resolve outstanding matters;
Assessing compliance with obligations contained in the PA and PIPEDA through the conduct of independent audit and review activities;
Advising on, and reviewing, Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) of new and existing government initiatives;
Providing legal and policy analyses and expertise to help guide Parliament’s review of evolving legislation to ensure respect for individuals’ right to privacy;
Responding to inquiries from parliamentarians, individual Canadians and organizations seeking information and guidance, and taking proactive steps to inform them of emerging privacy issues;
Promoting privacy awareness and compliance, and fostering understanding of privacy rights and obligations through proactive engagement with federal government institutions, private-sector organizations, industry associations, legal community, academia, professional associations, and other stakeholders;
Preparing and disseminating public education materials, positions on evolving legislation, regulations and policies, guidance documents and fact sheets for use by the general public, federal government institutions and private sector organizations;
Conducting research and monitoring trends in technological advances and privacy practices, identify systemic privacy issues that need to be addressed by federal government institutions and private sector organizations and promoting integration of best practices; and
Working with privacy stakeholders from other jurisdictions in Canada and on the international scene to address global privacy issues that result from ever increasing transborder data flows.