What is Privacy Act?

The Privacy Act is a crucial piece of legislation that’s included within the framework of Canadian law. The Privacy Act plays an important role in the operations of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The Privacy Act, enacted in 1983, elaborates the rules and regulations associated with the collection, use, disclosure, and protection of personal information by federal institutions like the RCMP. This act is necessary to protect the privacy of individuals. Moreover, it also helps in ensuring transparency in the handling of personal information by government authorities. Here is everything you must know about the Privacy Act.   

The main purpose of the Privacy Act is to strike the perfect balance between the government’s need for data and the individual’s right to privacy. The Act specifies guidelines for the collection of data, proper use of data, and its disclosure. Moreover, the Privacy Act also allows individuals to access the information held by government agencies for corrections. In other words, it helps in promoting control over data accuracy. 

The easiest way to submit a request under the Privacy Act is by using the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Online Request service. This service allows you to make online requests for information instead of having to print, scan, mail, or email the form. The Canadian government’s online portal lists the information you should access before submitting the request. 

The RCMP is a multi-jurisdictional organization in Canada. It uses various record-keeping systems that aren’t fully integrated. It is crucial to note here that the record searches are not centralized in Ottawa. They are usually conducted by the division, detachment, program or employee holding the records. By making accurate requests, you can accelerate the responses. To make accurate requests, you should structure them by considering these points. 

1. Provide a clear and in-depth description of the information you want 

The Privacy Act clearly outlines what is considered personal information. Some common examples of the Privacy Act are as follows. 

• Age 
• Address 
• Criminal records 
• Credit card numbers 
• Race, national, and ethnic origin 
• Financial history 
• Telephone numbers 
• Social insurance number 
• Medical history 

On the other hand, the following are examples that are not considered personal. 

• Work-related correspondence 
• Personal opinions or views 
• Job classifications 
• Details of employment contracts 
   

The applicant making the request receives releasable documents. Moreover, they will also receive a formal letter. The purpose of this letter is to specify the exemptions or exclusions applied during processing. It also provides contact information for the processing analyst for queries in the future. 

Third-party requests for personal information require written consent from the individual concerned unless the requester is the individual themselves. The RCMP processes requests in order, regardless of the sender, and completion time depends on the complexity of the request.