Privacy and Access to Information

This information is brought to you by the RCMP. It provides statistics and facts about cybercrime and its impact on youth. The provides information on sexting, criminal harassment, and child exploitation.

This activity sheet is a twist on the classic children’s game that helps players learn how to make smart privacy choices by climbing up a ladder when they make a good decision or sliding down a snake because they have shared a password with a friend, for example.

The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA) has re-launched an online guide about privacy rights related to electronic devices – such as laptops, cellphones, and tablets – at the border. It’s aimed at people crossing the border into Canada or departing for the U.S. through preclearance areas in Canada. It is available in English in both a short guide and a full guide and available in French, Mandarin, Punjabi, Tagalog, Spanish and Arabic.

This guide was design for parents to prepare them for the conversations they may need to have with their kids when they first start using digital devices, as they grow and their online activities change, and when things go wrong. The guide is divided into three sections that each deal with a different aspect of digital citizenship:  Respect People’s Feelings, to Respect Privacy and to Respect Property online.

In Alberta each government department is required to have a directory of personal information banks (PIBs) and make it available to the public. A personal information bank lists the type of personal information held by a public body. A personal information bank does not provide direct access to an individual’s records. For further information check out this page.

When someone uses personal information such as your name, Social Insurance number (SIN), credit card number or other identifying information without your knowledge or permission, it is identity theft and it is a crime. This tipsheet provides information on: how businesses and community groups can raise awarenes of identity theft, how to protect your identity when you are away from home, and how to report ID theft.

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has created this graphic novel to help young Canadians to better understand and navigate privacy issues in the online world. The 12-page graphic novel– is designed to appeal to tweens and younger teens. The novel was developed with feedback from young people, it tells the story of a brother and sister who learn (sometimes the hard way) about the privacy risks related to social networking, mobile devices and texting, and online gaming.To accompany the graphic novel, they have also developed a discussion guide that educators can use to generate further discussion and learning.

Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) is Alberta’s private sector privacy law. PIPA applies to provincial private sector organizations, businesses and, in some instances, to non-profit organizations for the protection of personal information and to provide a right of access to an individual’s own personal information.Organizations that are subject to PIPA must develop and follow policies that are reasonable to meet its obligations under the Act. When PIPA refers to any thing or any matter as ‘reasonable,’ it is that which a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.For public bodies, such as government departments and municipalities, please see information provided on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act website.

This tipsheet was prepared by the Alberta Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner to help landlords and tenants understand their rights and responsibilities under the Alberta Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)

This publication prepared by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is intended to provide readers with a general overview of the ten principles included in the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and how these principles affect associations and non-profit organizations (PDF – 10 pages).

Facts about internet privacy and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. Suggests methods of increasing your privacy for internet use, newsgroups and email.

Alberta has modernized its access to information legislation. The Access to Information Act (ATIA) came into force on June 11, 2025, and replaces part of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The ATIA allows access to records held by public bodies in Alberta and is the cornerstone of an open, accessible and accountable public body. It aims to strike a balance between the public’s right to know information and protecting confidential information required to ensure effective operations of government and public bodies.

This resource is provided by Canadian Legal FAQs, a website of the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta.

The information presented here is intended to provide the user with resources related to Canadian laws and policies dealing with access to information and privacy, with a particular emphasis on the federal Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.

The focus of this web site from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is to help kids understand how technology affects their privacy, and what they can do to build secure online profiles while keeping their information safe. Includes teacher resources.

The Commissioner is an advocate for the privacy rights of Canadians and her powers include: Investigating complaints, conducting audits and pursuing court action under two federal laws – Privacy Act and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA); Publicly reporting on the personal information-handling practices of public and private sector organizations; Supporting, undertaking and publishing research into privacy issues; and Promoting public awareness and understanding of privacy issues.

This site contains a variety of information pertaining to the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act, the Health Information Act (HIA), the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the Access to Motor Vehicle Information Regulation (AMVIR) and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC). The site also provides access to Commissioner’s Orders, Investigation Reports and other publications from the Office. The “Contact Us” section offers information about how to initiate a review or investigation under any of these Acts.

The National Do Not Call List (DNCL) gives consumers a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls. If you are a consumer you can choose to reduce the number of telemarketing calls you receive by registering your residential, wireless, fax or VoIP telephone number on the National DNCL. You can also file a complaint about telemarketing calls. Call toll-free 1-866-580-DNCL (1-866-580-3625)