Ottawa introduces long-awaited privacy bill

[00:00:00]That's why today our government tabled the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act. The new bill gives Canadians more control over their personal information.

[00:00:11]Gives them the right to deletion against deep fakes. It protects children's information as sensitive. It takes aim at surveillance pricing to stop price gouging.

[00:00:23]So, why do we need this now?

[00:00:25]Canada's consumer privacy laws are 25 years old. They were written before the iPhone. It was a different time, before AI, before deep fakes.

[00:00:34]And because so much of our lives right now, especially our kids' lives, have been shaped by platforms, apps, and digital services, we're living in a different world, and our laws need to catch up. That's why this bill gives the regulator real power to enforce the law. Many have called for this. For too long, companies that misuse Canadians' personal information have not faced strong enough consequences.

[00:01:00]This bill changes that. The new bill is a principle-based bill that makes sure that the regulator can draft rules around surveillance pricing to stop the improper use of information.

[00:01:17]If the harms outweigh the benefits, as in the case of surveillance pricing, the regulator can take charge. And uh it's very important. On the other hand, Canadians use reward points. So, there's lots of uses of where individuals collect reward points, and we want to make sure that we're not taking reward points away from citizens that are using reward points to get lower prices on food or lower prices on goods.

[00:01:45]But, when this law passes, I will be asking the regulator for guidance to publish guidance as one of my first acts on surveillance pricing to clarify exactly what that will be.

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