Federal Bill Aimed At Strengthening Privacy Rights Of Canadians And Protecting Children’s Data

On June 15, 2026, the Government of Canada tabled Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act (“PPCDA”), to modernize Canada’s private sector privacy law. The proposed legislation would apply to organizations that collect, use, or disclose personal information in the course of commercial activities, but would not apply to government institutions.

In introducing the Bill, the Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation, Evan Solomon, noted that the current privacy laws were implemented over 25 years ago, before the invention of the iPhone. The current laws have not kept pace with the widespread use of social media among children and youth or the rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies, including deepfakes.

The PPCDA will effectively replace the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (also known as PIPEDA), which would thereafter serve primarily as a law governing electronic documents.

If enacted, the PPCDA would recognize privacy as a fundamental right and provide Canadians with greater control over their personal information, including the right to request its deletion, to meaningfully consent to its collection and use, and to withdraw that consent at any time.

The PPCDA would also impose a number of new requirements and standards on organizations holding and managing consumer information to ensure that such information is used responsibly and transparently. Organizations will be required to provide plain language explanations to consumers on how their personal information is handled and used, including an explanation of an organization’s use of any automated decision system to make predictions about individuals.

Furthermore, the new PPCDA would set higher standards for organizations managing children’s information. Personal information relating to children will be marked as “sensitive”, which would require higher security safeguards.

Bill C-36 builds on the Government’s recent efforts to strengthen protections for children online, including the tabling of Bill C-34, which seeks to enact the Digital Safety Act. If enacted, the Digital Safety Act would require social media platforms and AI chatbot services to implement a range of safety measures, including identifying and assessing risks of online harm, taking steps to mitigate those risks, and incorporating age-appropriate and safety-focused design features. Most notably, it would also introduce a social media ban for all users under the age of 16.

Bill C-34 also seeks to create the Digital Safety Commission of Canada, a new regulatory body which would administer both the Digital Safety Act and the PPCDA, investigate complaints, conduct inspections and hearings, and impose orders and monetary penalties on organizations failing to comply with either statute. The PPCDA would allow the Commission to impose penalties of up to $10 million or 3 percent of an organization’s global revenue (whichever is greater) and, for the most serious contraventions, fines of up to $25 million or 5 percent of an organization’s global revenue (whichever is greater).

In exercising any powers or performing any duties under the PPCDA, the Commission will be required to take into account all relevant factors including the purpose of the Act, the importance of supporting economic growth in the Canadian marketplace, matters of general public interest, and the best interests of children.

The Artificial Intelligence Minister explained that the provisions of the PPCDA would give the Commission the power to implement rules to prevent practices such as surveillance pricing, which uses data on a consumer (such as their location, browser history, shopping habits, etc.) to set individualized prices based on a consumer’s estimated willingness to pay.

The Government has described Bill C-36 and the implementation of the PPCDA as a cornerstone of its National Artificial Intelligence Strategy: AI for All. One of the objectives of the AI Strategy is to protect Canadians, particularly children, against AI risks and online harms by safeguarding personal information and increasing AI transparency.

At the time of writing, both Bill C-34 and Bill C-36 have passed first reading in the House of Commons and will continue through the legislative process. These bills remain subject to further review, debate, and potential amendment before they can receive Royal Assent and come into force.

We will continue to monitor these important and groundbreaking bills and provide further updates as they advance through the legislative process. A PDF version is available for download here.

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