Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada’s 2024-25 Departmental plan at a glance

A departmental plan describes a department’s priorities, plans and associated costs for the upcoming three fiscal years.

Raison d’être and operating context

Key priorities

In 2024–25, the OPC will continue to fulfill its core responsibility, guided by the following three strategic priorities:

• Maximizing the OPC’s impact in fully and effectively promoting and protecting the fundamental right to privacy;
• Addressing privacy impacts of the fast-moving pace of technological advancement, especially in the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI;
• Ensuring that children’s privacy is protected and that young people are able to exercise their privacy rights.

These priorities have been identified to ensure that the OPC responds to the opportunities and challenges of our time in the face of unprecedented technological developments.

Refocusing Government Spending

In Budget 2023, the government committed to reducing spending by $14.1 billion over the next five years, starting in 2023–24, and by $4.1 billion annually after that.

While not officially part of this spending reduction exercise, the OPC will respect the spirit of this exercise by doing the following:

• Continuing to promote sustainable travel practices—including reducing business travel for meetings and training when other viable options such as e-learning and teleconferencing are available;
• Reviewing the use of consultant resources and renegotiating contracts, where possible, to reduce cost and derive more value for money.

Highlights

A Departmental Results Framework consists of an organization’s core responsibilities, the results it plans to achieve, and the performance indicators that measure progress toward these results.

Protection of Privacy Rights

Departmental results:

• Privacy rights are respected and obligations are met;
• Canadians are empowered to exercise their privacy right;
• Parliamentarians, and public and private sector organizations are informed and guided to protect Canadians’ privacy rights.

Planned spending: $24,986,305

Planned human resources: 167

In 2024–25 the OPC will continue to fulfill its core responsibility, pursuing the objectives set out in its Departmental Results Framework by focusing on advancing its three strategic priorities: maximizing the OPC’s impact in fully and effectively promoting and protecting the fundamental right to privacy; addressing privacy impacts of the fast-moving pace of technological advancement, especially in the world of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI; and ensuring that children’s privacy is protected and that young people are able to exercise their privacy rights.

More information about the Protection of Privacy Rights can be found in the full departmental plan.