Report a privacy breach at your business

Businesses subject to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) have certain obligations following a breach of security safeguards. These may include reporting the breach to our Office and notifying affected individuals when a breach poses a real risk of significant harm to individuals.

To learn more about obligations for businesses when a breach of security safeguards happens, see our guidance on what you need to know about mandatory reporting of breaches of security safeguards.

Submit your privacy breach report online

Organizations should use our secure online breach reporting form to:

• Submit reports of new privacy breaches as well as any documents relevant to the breach report
• Add documents to existing breach reports when you are following up with further information and already have a temporary tracking number or PIPEDA file number

Need help?

For more information or to discuss a potential breach report, please email our breach response unit at notification@priv.gc.ca.

Other ways to report a breach

Organizations can report a breach to the OPC in any format provided that the submission captures all the necessary information. Organizations can also use our PIPEDA breach report form (PDF format).

Submitting your completed PDF form

Submit your completed breach report (in PDF format) using the online breach reporting form.

1. On the Request a link to submit a breach report screen, enter your email address and select the Submit button. You will receive an email from nepasrepondre-noreply@priv.gc.ca containing a unique link to access the PIPEDA breach report form. Select the Access the OPC's secure breach reporting form link.
2. On the PIPEDA breach report screen, select New submission and then select Next.
3. On the Submitter Information screen, enter your email and name and then select Next.
4. On the Upload breach report and supplementary information screen, upload your report and related documents. Select Next.
5. On the Download a copy of the breach report screen, save a copy of the breach report information you have entered and select Preview.
6. Review the information you have entered and make any edits required. If you make changes, save a new copy of your report, and then select the Complete button to submit the breach report.