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Social Media Policies and Notices

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X (Twitter)

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) uses X (Twitter), a free messaging service offered by an American company, as one tool in its efforts to communicate clearly, quickly and in an interesting manner to Canadians interested in privacy and related issues.

The OPC’s English @PrivacyPrivee and French @PriveePrivacy accounts on X (Twitter) are managed by the Communications Directorate on behalf of colleagues across the OPC. New OPC accounts may be created for different needs within the organization.

Content 

The content delivered by the OPC on X (Twitter) reflects the values and ethics outlined in the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Sector and is influenced by the standards, practices and tone set by other X (Twitter) users interested in privacy and related issues. In composing our posts, we recognize that the OPC is considered an authority on privacy and will be expected to contribute to the online conversation in a considered and thoughtful way.

At the same time, we make an effort to communicate in a direct and realistic voice. Our posts make an effort to be engaging, informative and sometimes amusing.

Content includes (but is not limited to):

  • Links to news releases, blog posts, speeches, research reports and other approved, publicly available OPC material
  • Links to relevant information produced and published elsewhere (work of other commissioners, advocacy organizations, researchers, news organizations and others). This can include videos, blog posts, and reposts from other X (Twitter) users.
  • Interesting facts, quotes, videos or observations related to privacy generated by our Office and others
  • Topical questions related to privacy meant to provoke discussion

On content produced and published by third parties

Posts and reposts linking to content produced and published elsewhere do not imply endorsement on the part of the OPC. We may post or repost news, links and personal observations we believe are relevant to the work we do in privacy advocacy and research. We are not responsible for the content of information produced and published by third parties.

X (Twitter) is not a source of official policy 

Posts are not the authoritative source of new policy or guidance from the OPC. Any change or evolution in the OPC’s official position on legislation, guidance, investigations and audits will be communicated through more traditional channels: official publications (online and off), speeches, statements to the traditional media and the Office web site. We may, however, use X (Twitter) to draw attention to the OPC’s official position on privacy issues.

Importantly, the OPC’s decision to post or repost is not an endorsement of any position or argument that may vary from the Office’s current official position, nor an indication of a possible shift in the Office’s current official position.

Official Languages 

Posts are composed and delivered in either official language but not all posts are delivered in both languages. If a post is meant to highlight a link to content found elsewhere on the web, the post will be sent in the language of the content it links to. Similarly, a repost will only be delivered in the language of the original author.

Privacy 

X (Twitter) is a third-party service provider used by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to communicate with the public. X (Twitter) account holders who use the service are bound by X (Twitter)’s Terms of Service – this includes our Office, and individuals who communicate with our Office via X (Twitter). We encourage users to read X (Twitter)’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, as well as the Terms of Service and Privacy Policies for all social networking services they use.

Information posted publicly on X (Twitter) – whether it is directed at our Office or not – can be read by anyone. Therefore, we strongly advise users not to post personal information – whether their own, or the information of others – on X (Twitter).

Our Office may use information you provide on X (Twitter) – your X (Twitter) name or handle, and the personal opinions contained in your posts, @Replies and Direct Messages to us – for statistical or analytical purposes.

Following 

The OPC’s decision to follow a particular X (Twitter) user does not imply endorsement of any kind. We follow accounts on X (Twitter) we believe are relevant to the mandate of our work – specifically, as it relates to privacy advocacy and research. This could include following the X (Twitter) accounts of companies and other commercial enterprises (and/or their employees) who comment on privacy issues.

Followers 

Similarly, the appearance of a X (Twitter) user as a follower of an OPC account does not imply endorsement. The OPC will only take steps to remove or block a follower when that follower is obviously a bot (a program used to perform repetitive tasks – like posting spam) or consistently posting offensive material.

Availability 

We commit to updating and monitoring our X (Twitter) account during regular office hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m., ET. Like many X (Twitter) users, however, we may (and likely will) monitor and respond at other times of the day. We accept no responsibility for lack of service or downtime caused by X (Twitter).

@Replies and Direct Messages 

We will read all @replies and Direct Messages sent to us and, when possible, will respond to them in their language of origin. Our use of information collected through @Replies and Direct Messages is described in the Privacy section of this Policy, above. We will not disclose the contents of a Direct Message to a third party, unless required to do so by law.

Complaints, Media Requests and Personal Issues 

We encourage you to follow traditional channels to make a media request, or seek additional information on an ongoing investigation.

If you believe you have a complaint under either the Privacy Act or the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, you can either submit your complaint to the OPC in writing or online. For additional information on submitting complaints, consult the page File a formal privacy complaint.

Please note: The Office of the Privacy Commissioner does not process complaints via e-mail or X (Twitter).

Posts addressed to the OPC which contain comments upon the work or professional duties of individual OPC employees will not be acknowledged.

Ongoing investigations 

X (Twitter) will not be used to update the public on the status of ongoing investigations.

Other OPC staff posting

Some OPC staff post under their own names or pseudonyms. Despite their professional affiliation with the OPC, their posts do not represent the official position of the Office, and should be considered the product of each individual as a private citizen.

YouTube

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner hosts a channel on YouTube to communicate with Canadians in a creative and visually stimulating way.

YouTube is a third-party video-sharing web service owned by Google and used by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to communicate with the public. YouTube account holders who use the service are bound by YouTube’s Terms of Service – this includes our Office. We encourage users to read YouTube’s Terms of Service and Google’s Privacy Policy, as well as the Terms of Service and Privacy Policies for all social networking services they use. Google’s Privacy Policy is separate from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s Privacy Policy, and the Office’s use of YouTube is not an endorsement of Google’s or YouTube’s privacy policy or practices.

Our Office does not collect any personal information via YouTube. The OPC cannot identify you when you “like” one of our videos, but this information is provided to us by YouTube in aggregate form (i.e. the total number of viewers who “liked” our videos). Our Office may use this information for statistical or analytical purposes and to help us provide content of interest to the public.

LinkedIn

The OPC hosts a page on LinkedIn to communicate with people about future career opportunities at the OPC, to offer privacy tips and guidance to small businesses to increase their awareness of, and therefore compliance with, PIPEDA, and to share important announcements.

LinkedIn is a third-party social network and online platform used by the OPC to communicate with the public. LinkedIn account holders who use the service are bound by LinkedIn’s User Agreement – this includes our Office. We encourage users to read LinkedIn’s User Agreement and Privacy Policy, as well as the user agreements, terms of service and privacy policies for all social networking services they use. LinkedIn’s Privacy Policy is separate from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner’s Privacy Policy, and the Office’s use of LinkedIn is not an endorsement of LinkedIn’s Privacy Policy or practices.

Our Office does not collect any personal information via LinkedIn. When you “like” one of our posts, that information is displayed under the post and is visible to LinkedIn users visiting our page. LinkedIn also provides us with information on our visitors and followers, and on the numbers of impressions, clicks, interaction and engagement our posts garner, but this information is provided in aggregate form. Our Office may use this information for statistical or analytical purposes and to help us provide content of interest to the public.

Comment Policy

All comments posted to our social media pages, as well as messages sent to us through those platforms will be reviewed by our staff. Although we are not able to reply individually to all posts, comments and messages, they will be handled on a case-by-case basis and responded to when deemed appropriate.

We cannot and do not provide advance rulings with respect to privacy issues on social media. We encourage you to contact our Information Centre with any privacy-related questions or concerns.

We reserve the right to edit or remove comments that meet any of the following conditions:

  • are contrary to the principles of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
  • are racist, hateful, sexist, homophobic, defamatory, insulting, threatening, or otherwise discriminating or hurtful to an individual or group;
  • put forward serious, unproven or inaccurate accusations against individuals or organizations;
  • are aggressive, vulgar, indecent, rude, abusive, coarse, violent, obscene or pornographic in tone or content;
  • are offensive, defamatory, disparaging or include defamatory statements to an individual or an organization;
  • are not sent by the author and/or posted by anonymous or robot accounts;
  • are put forward for phishing or spamming purposes;
  • are written in a language other than English or French;
  • are solicitations, advertisements, or endorsements of any financial, commercial or non-governmental agency;
  • contain announcements from labour or political organizations;
  • contain personal information about you or any other person;
  • contain any names, products or services, logos, slogans, mascots, artwork, or promotion of any brand, product or service of any company or entity, or any material protected by copyright or trademarks;
  • are unintelligible or irrelevant to the Page;
  • encourage or suggest illegal activity;
  • are repetitive or spamming of threads, and
  • do not, in the moderators’ opinion, add to the normal flow of the discussion.

Questions?

If you have questions about this social media policy, please contact @privacyprivee or webmestre-webmaster@priv.gc.ca.

Should you have any questions about your privacy rights as explained in these Privacy Notices, please contact our Chief Privacy Officer:

Chief Privacy Officer
30 Victoria Street
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1H3

Toll-free: 1-800-282-1376
Phone: 819-994-5444
TTY: 819-994-6591
rpvp-cpo@priv.gc.ca

Please read our Privacy Policy and Website Terms and Conditions of Use for more details.

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