PIPEDA – How and Why Comm100 Complies to Canada’s Privacy Law

92% of Canadians are concerned about their personal privacy, and 45% think businesses don’t respect their privacy rights. 

We live in an increasingly privacy-conscious world, and it’s no wonder. With technology and data so key to our lives, it’s almost impossible to keep tabs on who has our data and what it’s being used for. 

For any business to thrive, they need their customers to trust them, and to do this, they need to prove that they take personal privacy seriously. This means making sure that every software or tool they use does too.  

PIPEDA is a Canadian law that protects individuals’ privacy. To make sure that our customers are leading the way in privacy and gaining their customers’ trust, Comm100 is fully PIPEDA compliant. 

Let’s explore what PIPEDA is, who it applies to, and why it’s so important to your business. 

What is PIPEDA 

PIPEDA stands for Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. It is a Canadian federal privacy law that sets out the rules for how businesses can collect, use, and disclose personal information within commercial activities.  

Under PIPEDA, personal information that an organization gains can only be used for the purposes for which it was collected. If it is to be used for a different purpose, the organization must get consent again from the individual. This information must also be appropriately protected. Individuals also have the right to access their personal information and challenge its accuracy. 

Personal information refers to more than just a person’s name or address. It is any information that can identify a person on its own or when combined with other information. This includes income, social status, ethnic origin, intent to buy something, opinions, and financial and medical records. Read here for the full list. 

Who does it apply to? 

PIPEDA applies to most businesses across Canada, except those based in Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta which have their own unique privacy laws. However, all federally regulated organizations in Canada are subject to PIPEDA including: 

• airports, aircraft and airlines 
• banks and authorized foreign banks 
• inter-provincial or international transportation companies 
• telecommunications companies 
• offshore drilling operations 
• radio and television broadcasters. 

If you are not sure if your business is subject to PIPEDA, take a look here. 

Why is it important – for you and your customers? 

Privacy is important to Canadians, and they’re concerned about it. While they expect businesses to take measures to protect their personal information, they don’t always believe that companies are doing everything they can to safeguard it. 

Polls have shown that 92% of Canadians are concerned about their privacy. Most have, at some point, refused to hand over personal information to a business because of these worries. More than half feel like they’ve lost control over how their data is used, and less than half feel that businesses truly respect their privacy rights. 

What does this boil down to? Businesses that don’t have strong privacy measures risk losing business, while those that do will gain trust and customers. In today’s privacy-conscious world, customers want to do business with organizations that show respect for their privacy rights. They want to do buy from companies that they can trust. 

This makes it essential to comply with privacy laws like PIPEDA – and why Comm100 is PIPEDA compliant. 

How is Comm100 PIPEDA compliant? 

Comm100 takes privacy seriously. We are a proudly Canadian company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, with hundreds of Canadian customers. When these customers use our technology, personal information is often shared across the Comm100 platform, so it’s crucial that we have all the necessary safeguards to protect our customers’ customers’ information.  

This is why Comm100 is fully PIPEDA compliant, abiding by all 10 of PIPEDA’s fair information principles. We understand just how important it is for our customers to have the peace of mind that they are doing their upmost to protect their customers’ privacy, and PIPEDA is just one of many privacy regulations that Comm100 complies with. 

Discover more of Comm100’s privacy compliances and how we protect your customers’ personal information here.