The OPC’s new Privacy Impact Assessment online submission form
March 18, 2024
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The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) is pleased to announce that a new online privacy impact assessment (PIA) submission form is now available on the OPC website.
Instead of mailing or emailing PIAs as they have done in the past, federal government departments and agencies will now be able to submit them through a secure central online location, reducing the risk that a PIA might be sent to the wrong inbox. It will accept documents up to Protected B, and also make it easier for institutions to later add documents and link them to previous submissions.
To access the submission form, go to:
Submit a privacy impact assessment to the OPC
The OPC is grateful for the input received from various departments and stakeholders who tested the online submission form and provided suggestions to help make the new tool as user-friendly as possible.
Online PIA submission launch event
Join the OPC Government Advisory Directorate’s launch event tomorrow for a demonstration of how to submit a PIA online, and a brief presentation on the fundamentals of PIAs.
Launch event details:
Date: March 19, 2024
Time: 10 to 11:30 am
Register on Teams
The Government Advisory Directorate is also available at your convenience to provide a short PIA submission virtual information session. This includes a demonstration of the platform, as well as an opportunity to ask questions or provide feedback. To inquire about a session, or for any questions about submitting PIAs to our Office, please contact scg-ga@priv.gc.ca.
Note: The online submission form is for sending PIAs to the OPC only. At this time, Treasury Board Secretariat’s Privacy and Responsible Data Division will continue to receive PIAs from institutions via email at ippd-dpiprp@tbs-sct.gc.ca or by mail to 219 Laurier Avenue West, 14th Floor, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0R5.
More about PIAs
A PIA is a risk-management process that helps institutions ensure that they meet legislative requirements and identify the impact that their programs and activities will have on individuals’ privacy. The PIA process strengthens privacy, supports the public interest, and generates trust.
Government departments, like many sectors, are looking to leverage technology to find innovative solutions to better serve clients and use resources more efficiently. As you do so, it is important to put privacy at the forefront when you are onboarding new technologies, and designing and modernizing programs and services that involve personal information.
The Treasury Board Secretariat Directive on Privacy Impact Assessment requires that federal institutions submit PIAs to the OPC and TBS.
For more information, see our Guide to the Privacy Impact Assessment Process and our recent bulletin on Five ways to improve your Privacy Impact Assessments.
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