Cybersecurity Policy Report, Report Shows Increase in Privacy Complaints in Canada, (Jun 5, 2026)

By Tony Foley

Canada’s Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) has tabled its annual report in Parliament, highlighting its efforts to promote children’s privacy and to provide leadership in a world of rapidly emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI).

The report notes that privacy is being tested in new ways as AI and other technologies like connected services, online platforms, and immersive digital tools evolve. The impact of these and other technologies on children’s privacy was an important focus of the OPC’s work during the year.

According to a news release outlining the report, OPC completed hundreds of investigations in the past fiscal year, including a joint investigation with provincial counterparts into TikTok. As a result of the investigation, OPC said, TikTok is implementing improvements to its privacy practices in the best interests of users, especially children (CPR, Sept. 25, 2025). In addition, in adapting to the growing complexity of the digital environment, OPC created and implemented an internal AI product that enables the agency to deepen its understanding of AI while also optimizing its work.

OPC saw a significant increase in the number of complaints received under both the Privacy Act (applicable to government institutions) and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), Canada’s federal private-sector privacy law, with 3,044 PIPEDA complaints and 3,146 complaints under the Privacy Act (a 109% increase and 62% increase, respectively, over the previous fiscal year).

OPC attributed the increase in PIPEDA complaints to several factors, including increased awareness and ease of access to the OPC’s complaint process thanks to the launch of AI-enhanced search engines. The agency attributed Privacy Act complaint growth to a significant increase in allegations that the federal government did not respond to personal information requests within the timelines required under the law, as well as an increase in complaints related to the Privacy Act Extension Order, which allows individuals outside Canada, including foreign nationals, to request information that Canadian federal government institutions hold about them.

Finally, the report notes that OPC received around 450 breach reports from federal government institutions affecting more than 48,000 Canadians and nearly 700 such reports from businesses that impacted more than 20 million residents. The agency also closed 975 Privacy Act complaints and 302 PIPEDA complaints through the early resolution process, which involves shorter investigations concluding with a brief report.

“Prioritizing privacy is more important than ever at a time when new technologies are being developed and AI is being integrated into a wide range of applications that we use in our personal and professional lives,” Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne said. “Prioritizing privacy is essential to enabling innovation in Canada’s best interests and in a way that ensures the protection of Canadians’ fundamental right to privacy.”

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