Definition - What does Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act mean?
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is one of Canada's two federal privacy laws. The law came into effect in January of 2004, to respect and protect the patient's human right to privacy. The act provides federally regulated organizations with the parameters for the collection, consumption, or distribution of personal and health information belonging to customers and employees in federal works.
SureHire explains Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
The Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) states that a business must obtain consent from an individual to gather, use, or distribute personal data relating to them. The consent must indicate a purpose for which the information will be used and the data may not be used for any purpose other than what was originally indicated. The purpose must also be considered reasonable given the circumstances. An individual may choose to exercise their right to see what data is held about them by an organization and resolve any inaccuracies that may be identified.
The Privacy Commissioner of Canada is responsible for ensuring that the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) is respected. If there are any transgressions, the Commissioner takes the required action to resolve it.
