Statement by the Privacy Commissioner following release of ETHI Committee report on oversight of social media platforms

December 9, 2024
Gatineau, Quebec

Privacy Commissioner of Canada Philippe Dufresne today issued the following statement regarding a new report from the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) on its study on the Use of Social Media Platforms for Data Harvesting and Unethical or Illicit Sharing of Personal Information with Foreign Entities.

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I welcome the report by the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI) on important issues related to social media platforms and how they harvest, handle and share personal information.

Many of the recommendations in this report reflect the issues that I discussed when I appeared before the Committee in October 2023.

In a digital world, where the risks for privacy are higher than ever, we must continue to progress on efforts to modernize Canada’s federal privacy laws.

The Committee has made several recommendations to amend the federal private-sector privacy law, the Personal information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), including to impose data-minimization requirements, add rules surrounding cross-border data transfers and provide the Privacy Commissioner with the power to make binding orders and impose significant administrative monetary penalties.

I strongly support the Committee’s call for proposed amendments to PIPEDA to provide for stronger protections for children and youth, including appropriate consent mechanisms and an explicit right to the deletion or de-indexing of the personal information of minors.

We must respond to the well-documented harms to young people online and ensure that they are protected and that their best interests are a primary consideration in the design of products and services that concern or impact them.

As children and youth embrace new technologies and experience much of their lives online, we need strong safeguards to protect their personal information and how it may be collected, used, and disclosed. Children have a right to be children in a safe environment, including in the digital world.

All Canadians have a fundamental right to privacy, and they should be empowered with knowledge of how to protect their personal information. I welcome the Committee’s proposal for the Government of Canada to invest more in digital literacy to better equip Canadians to protect their personal data online.

The Committee’s report sets out a number of observations related to TikTok. My Office’s joint investigation into TikTok’s privacy practices with counterparts in Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta is ongoing. We are examining whether TikTok’s practices comply with Canadian privacy legislation and, in particular, whether valid and meaningful consent is being obtained for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information, with a particular focus on TikTok’s privacy practices as they relate to younger users.

Addressing and advocating for privacy and championing children’s privacy are essential to protecting Canadians’ fundamental right to privacy in this time of unprecedented technological change.

Related links

• Statement: Appearance before the Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics on its study of the Use of Social Media Platforms for Data Harvesting and Unethical or Illicit Sharing of Personal Information with Foreign Entities
• ETHI Report: Oversight of Social Media Platforms: Ensuring Privacy and Safety Online

Media contact

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
communications@priv.gc.ca