2024–25 Annual Report on the Privacy Act

From April 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025

ISSN 2818-3738

Click to view the report in PDF.


Table of Contents


Introduction

The Privacy Act (PA – the Act) gives Canadians the broad legal right to access and correct their personal information contained in federal government records. The Act also places limits on the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.

The Act provides government institutions with 30 days to respond to personal information requests. Additional time may be granted if there are many records to examine, other government agencies to be consulted, or documents to be translated. Access rights are subject to specific and limited exemptions.

This annual report to Parliament is submitted by the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner (the Commissioner) pursuant to section 72 of the PA. On April 15, 2007, the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act (PSDPA) came into force. It created the Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada (the Office). The new legislation replaced the Treasury Board Policy on the Internal Disclosure of Information Concerning Wrongdoing in the Workplace.

The Office is mandated to establish a safe, independent and confidential process for public servants and members of the public to disclose potential wrongdoing in the federal public sector. The Office also helps to protect from reprisal public servants who have filed disclosures or participated in related investigations.

The Commissioner is an independent Agent of Parliament.

Description of the Institution’s Structure

The Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Coordinator is the only employee dedicated, on a part-time basis, to fulfil the Privacy Act responsibilities. The Coordinator is assisted by a contractor for the processing of the requests, for training and education, and for reporting activities.

Delegation

The Commissioner, as the head of the government institution, has designated, pursuant to section 73 of the PA, the persons holding the positions set out in the delegation order, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers, duties or functions of the Commissioner as specified therein. A copy of the delegation order is included in Appendix A for the designated ATIP Coordinator.

Interpretation of the Statistical Report

Appendix B provides a statistical report on the PA applications processed by the Office between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.

Three formal requests were received and closed during this reporting period, two of which were received online and one by email. These requests were processed within the legal timeframe.

A nil response was produced for one of the requests since no records existed for this request. Of the 38 pages processed for the remaining two requests, 8 pages were released, and the 30 other pages were exempted under section 22.2 of the Act. All requests originated from the Public.

No requests for the correction of personal information or for the production of annotations were received.

No consultation requests were received from other federal government institutions including on Cabinet Confidences.

The Office spent some $21,500 in resources administering the Privacy Act.

Five-Year Trend of Privacy Requests

Fiscal YearNew Requests ReceivedTotal Requests Processed*
2020–2155
2021–2233
2022–2300
2023–2400
2024–2533

*Note: Total requests processed include any requests carried over from previous reporting periods.

Interpretation of the Supplemental Statistical Report

Appendix C provides an additional statistical report on the processing of requests by the Office between April 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025.

Education and Training Activities

One formal briefing session covering the notions of personal information and of privacy breach was delivered to PSIC employees as a group during this reporting period. Advice was also provided on an individual basis as required.

Overview of New or Revised Institutional Policies and Procedures

No new or revised institutional policies or procedures were implemented during this reporting period which would have had an impact on privacy.

Key Issues Relating to Privacy Complaints and/or Investigations

No complaints were received from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner during this reporting period.

Time Monitoring for Processing Privacy Requests

The Office continues to experience a low volume of formal privacy requests, which is consistent with its specialized mandate and the proactive disclosure of key information on its website. By tracking this manually, on a case-by-case basis, this approach succeeds in assisting the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator, as well as the contractor, dedicated to this function in monitoring timelines to ensure compliance with the legislated deadlines.

While the number of requests remains minimal, the Office remains committed to maintaining full compliance with the Privacy Act and ensuring readiness to respond to any increase in demand. Continuous improvement efforts include monitoring best practices across government institutions and maintaining internal awareness of legislative and policy developments.

Looking ahead, the Office will focus on the following priorities to address this approach as well as strengthen its privacy program:

  • Enhanced Training: In addition to the annual training session, explore e-learning options to ensure all employees remain informed of their obligations under the Privacy Act.
  • Digital Readiness: Assess the feasibility of implementing a case management system should request volumes increase, to ensure timely and accurate processing.
  • Policy Review: Conduct an internal review of ATIP-related procedures on a biennial basis to confirm alignment with Treasury Board Secretariat guidance and evolving best practices.
  • Accessibility Compliance: Ensure that all published reports, including appendices, meet accessibility standards (e.g., Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.1) by providing text-based tables and alternative text for images, where feasible.

Material Privacy Breaches

No serious material privacy breaches took place during this reporting period.

Privacy Impact Assessments

No Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) were completed during this reporting period.

Personal Information Disclosed Pursuant to Subsections 8(2) and 8(5) of the Privacy Act

No disclosures were made under sections 8(2) and 8(5) of the PA during this reporting period.


Appendix A – Delegation Order

As at September 4, 2025,

The Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada, as the head of the government institution, hereby designates, pursuant to section 73 of the Privacy Act, the person holding the position set out below, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers, duties or functions of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner as specified below.

PositionSections of the Privacy Act
Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer

Full Authority

Full Authority except section 8(2)(m)

I hereby name Alexandre Roitman as the Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator.

(Original signed by)

Harriet Solloway
Public Sector Integrity Commissioner


Appendix B – Statistical Report

Name of Institution: Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada

Reporting Period: 2024-04-01 to 2025-03-31

Section 1: Requests under the Privacy Act

1.1 Number of Requests Received

 Number of Requests
Received during reporting period3
Outstanding from previous reporting periods0
  • Outstanding from previous reporting period
0
  • Outstanding from more than one reporting period
0
Total3
Closed during reporting period3
Carried over the next reporting period0
  • Carried over within legislated timeline
0
  • Carried over beyond legislated timeline
0

1.2 Channels of Requests

SourceNumber of Requests
Online2
E-mail1
Mail0
In person0
Phone0
Fax0
Total3

Section 2: Informal Requests

2.1 Number of Informal Requests

 Number of Requests
Received during reporting period0
Outstanding from previous reporting periods0
  • Outstanding from previous reporting period
0
  • Outstanding from more than one reporting period
0
Total0
Closed during reporting period0
Carried over the next reporting period0

2.2 Channels of Informal Requests

SourceNumber of Requests
Online0
E-mail0
Mail0
In person0
Phone0
Fax0
Total0

2.3 Completion Time of Informal Requests

Completion Time
0–15 Days16–30 Days31–60 Days61–120 Days121–180 Days181–365 DaysMore than 365 DaysTotal
00000000

2.4 Pages Released Informally

Less than 100 Pages Released100–500 Pages Released501–1,000 Pages Released1,001–5,000 Pages ReleasedMore than 5,000 Pages Released
Number of RequestsPages ReleasedNumber of RequestsPages ReleasedNumber of RequestsPages ReleasedNumber of RequestsPages ReleasedNumber of RequestsPages Released
0000000000

Section 3: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

3.1 Disposition and Completion Time

Disposition of RequestsCompletion Time
0–15 Days16–30 Days31–60 Days61–120 Days121–180 Days181–365 DaysMore than 365 DaysTotal
All disclosed01000001
Disclosed in part00000000
All exempted01000001
All excluded00000000
No records exist01000001
Request abandoned00000000
Neither confirmed nor denied00000000
Total03000003

3.2 Exemptions

SectionNumber of Requests
18(2)0
19(1)(a)0
19(1)(b)0
19(1)(c)0
19(1)(d)0
19(1)(e)0
19(1)(f)0
200
210
22(1)(a)(i)0
22(1)(a)(ii)0
22(1)(a)(iii)0
22(1)(b)0
22(1)(c)0
22(2)0
22.10
22.21
22.30
22.40
23(a)0
23(b)0
24(a)0
24(b)0
250
260
270
27.10
280

3.3 Exclusions

SectionNumber of Requests
69(1)(a)0
69(1)(b)0
69.10
70(1)0
70(1)(a)0
70(1)(b)0
70(1)(c)0
70(1)(d)0
70(1)(e)0
70(1)(f)0
70.10

3.4 Format of Information Released

PaperElectronicOther
E-recordDatasetVideoAudio
010000

3.5 Complexity

3.5.1 Relevant Pages Processed and Disclosed for Paper and E-record Formats
Number of Pages ProcessedNumber of Pages DisclosedNumber of Requests
3882
3.5.2 Relevant Pages Processed by Request Disposition for Paper, E-record and Dataset Formats by Size of Requests
DispositionLess than 100 Pages Processed100–500 Pages Processed501–1,000 Pages Processed1,001–5,000 Pages ProcessedMore than 5,000 Pages Processed
Number of RequestsPages ProcessedNumber of RequestsPages ProcessedNumber of RequestsPages ProcessedNumber of RequestsPages ProcessedNumber of RequestsPages Processed
All disclosed1800000000
Disclosed in part0000000000
All exempted13000000000
All excluded0000000000
Request abandoned0000000000
Neither confirmed nor denied0000000000
Total23800000000
3.5.3 Relevant Minutes Processed and Disclosed for Audio Formats
Number of Minutes ProcessedNumber of Minutes DisclosedNumber of Requests
000
3.5.4 Relevant Minutes Processed per Requests Disposition for Audio Formats by Size of Requests
DispositionLess than 60 Minutes Processed60–120 Minutes ProcessedMore than 120 Minutes Processed
Number of RequestsMinutes ProcessedNumber of RequestsMinutes ProcessedNumber of RequestsMinutes Processed
All disclosed000000
Disclosed in part000000
All exempted000000
All excluded000000
Request abandoned000000
Neither confirmed nor denied000000
Total000000
3.5.5 Relevant Minutes Processed and Disclosed for Video Formats
Number of Minutes ProcessedNumber of Minutes DisclosedNumber of Requests
000
3.5.6 Relevant Minutes Processed per Request Disposition for Video Formats by Size of Requests
DispositionLess than 60 Minutes Processed60–120 Minutes ProcessedMore than 120 Minutes Processed
Number of RequestsMinutes ProcessedNumber of RequestsMinutes ProcessedNumber of RequestsMinutes Processed
All disclosed000000
Disclosed in part000000
All exempted000000
All excluded000000
Request abandoned000000
Neither confirmed nor denied000000
Total000000
3.5.7 Other Complexities
DispositionConsultation RequiredLegal Advice SoughtInterwoven InformationOtherTotal
All disclosed00000
Disclosed in part00000
All exempted00000
All excluded00000
Request abandoned00000
Neither confirmed nor denied00000
Total00000

3.6 Closed Requests

3.6.1 Number of Requests Closed within Legislated Timelines
Number of Requests Closed within Legislated Timelines3
Percentage of Requests Closed within Legislated Timelines (%)100

3.7 Deemed Refusals

3.7.1 Reasons for Not Meeting Legislated Timelines
Number of Requests Closed Past the Legislated DeadlinePrincipal Reason
Interference with Operations / WorkloadExternal ConsultationInternal ConsultationOther
00000
3.7.2 Requests Closed Beyond Legislated Timelines (including any extension taken)
Number of Days Past Legislated TimelinesNumber of Requests Past Legislated Timelines where No Extension Was TakenNumber of Requests Past Legislated Timelines where an Extension Was TakenTotal
1–15 days000
16–30 days000
31–60 days000
61–120 days000
121–180 days000
181–365 days000
More than 365 days000
Total000

3.8 Requests for Translation

Translation RequestsAcceptedRefusedTotal
English to French000
French to English000
Total000

Section 4: Disclosures under Subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

Paragraph 8(2)(e)Paragraph 8(2)(m)Subsection 8(5)Total
0000

Section 5: Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations

Disposition for Correction Requests ReceivedNumber
Notations attached0
Requests for correction accepted0
Total0

Section 6: Extensions

6.1 Reasons for Extensions

Number of Extensions Taken15(a)(i) Interference with Operations15(a)(ii) Consultation15(b) Translation Purposes or Conversion
Further Review Required to Determine ExemptionsLarge Volume of PagesLarge Volume of RequestsDocuments Are Difficult to ObtainCabinet Confidence Section (Section 70)ExternalInternal
000000000

6.2 Length of Extensions

Length of Extensions15(a)(i) Interference with Operations15(a)(ii) Consultation15(b) Translation Purposes or Conversion
Further Review Required to Determine ExemptionsLarge Volume of PagesLarge Volume of RequestsDocuments Are Difficult to ObtainCabinet Confidence Section (Section 70)ExternalInternal
1–15 days00000000
16–30 days00000000
31 days or greaterN/A0
Total00000000

Section 7: Consultations Received from Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations Received from Other Government of Canada Institutions and Other Organizations

ConsultationsOther Government of Canada InstitutionsOther Organizations
Number of Government of Canada InstitutionsNumber of Pages to ReviewNumber of OrganizationsNumber of Pages to Review
Received during the reporting period0000
Outstanding from the previous reporting period0000
Total0000
Closed during the reporting period0000
Carried over within negotiated timelines0000
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines0000

7.2 Recommendations and Completion Time for Consultations Received from other Government of Canada Institutions

RecommendationNumber of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests
0–15 Days16–30 Days31–60 Days61–120 Days121–180 Days181–365 DaysMore than 365 DaysTotal
Disclose entirely00000000
Disclose in part00000000
Exempt entirely00000000
Exclude entirely00000000
Consult other institutions00000000
Other00000000
Total00000000

7.3 Recommendations and Completion Time for Consultations Received from Other Organizations Outside the Government of Canada

RecommendationNumber of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests
0–15 Days16–30 Days31–60 Days61–120 Days121–180 Days181–365 DaysMore than 365 DaysTotal
Disclose entirely00000000
Disclose in part00000000
Exempt entirely00000000
Exclude entirely00000000
Consult other institutions00000000
Other00000000
Total00000000

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

Number of DaysFewer than 100 Pages Processed100–500 Pages Processed501–1,000 Pages Processed1,001–5,000 Pages ProcessedMore than 5,000 Pages Processed
Number of RequestsPages DisclosedNumber of RequestsPages DisclosedNumber of RequestsPages DisclosedNumber of RequestsPages DisclosedNumber of RequestsPages Disclosed
1–150000000000
16–300000000000
31–600000000000
61–1200000000000
121–1800000000000
181–3650000000000
More than 3650000000000
Total0000000000

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Number of DaysFewer than 100 Pages Processed100–500 Pages Processed501–1,000 Pages Processed1,001–5,000 Pages ProcessedMore than 5,000 Pages Processed
Number of RequestsPages DisclosedNumber of RequestsPages DisclosedNumber of RequestsPages DisclosedNumber of RequestsPages DisclosedNumber of RequestsPages Disclosed
1–150000000000
16–300000000000
31–600000000000
61–1200000000000
121–1800000000000
181–3650000000000
More than 3650000000000
Total0000000000

Section 9: Complaints and Investigations Notices Received

Section 31Section 33Section 35Court ActionTotal
00000

Section 10: Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

10.1 Privacy Impact Assessments

Number of PIAs completed0
Number of PIAs modified0

10.2 Institution-Specific and Central Personal Information Banks

Personal Information BanksActiveCreatedTerminatedModified
Institution-specific0000
Central0000
Total0000

Section 11: Privacy Breaches

11.1 Material Privacy Breaches Reported

Number of material privacy breaches reported to TBS0
Number of material privacy breaches reported to OPC0

11.2 Non-Material Privacy Breaches

Number of non-material privacy breaches0

12.1 Allocated Costs

ExpendituresAmount
Salaries$12,000
Overtime$0
Goods and services$9,500
  • Professional services contracts
$9,500
  • Other
$0
Total$21,500

12.2 Human Resources

ResourcesPerson Years Dedicated to Privacy Activities
Full-time employees0.250
Part-time and casual employees0.000
Regional staff0.000
Consultants and agency personnel0.300
Students0.000
Total0.550

Appendix C – Supplemental Statistical Report

Name of Institution: Office of the Public Sector Integrity Commissioner of Canada

Reporting Period: 2024-04-01 to 2025-03-31

Section 1: Requests Carried Over and Active Complaints under the Privacy Act

1.1 Requests Carried Over  to Next Period, Broken Down by Reporting Period Received

Reporting Period Requests Carried Over Were ReceivedRequests Carried Over that Are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2025Requests Carried Over that Are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2025Total
Received in 2024–25 or earlier000
Total000

1.2 Active Complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, Broken Down by Reporting Period Received

Reporting Period Active Complaints Were Received by InstitutionNumber of Active Complaints
Received in 2024–25 or earlier0
Total0

Section 2: Social Insurance Number

Has your institution begun a new collection or a new consistent use of the Social Insurance Number in 2024–25?No

Section 3: Universal Access under the Privacy Act

How many requests were received from foreign nationals outside of Canada in 2024–25?0