Privacy impact assessments

A privacy impact assessment (PIA) is an evaluation process which allows Statistics Canada to assess and evaluate privacy, confidentiality or security risks associated with the collection, use or disclosure of personal information, and to develop measures intended to mitigate and, wherever possible, eliminate identified risks.

Statistics Canada's commitment to keep in trust the information it obtains from the Canadian public is enshrined in both the Statistics Act and the Agency's various policies and practices that frame its data collection, analysis and dissemination activities.

Given its unique position in the federal government in collecting personal information solely for statistical and research purposes, Statistics Canada has determined that the privacy issues associated with its survey activities could be addressed by means of a generic privacy impact assessment that would address the majority of survey collections undertaken by the Agency under the authority of the Statistics Act.

Nevertheless, in accordance with its Directive on Conducting Privacy Impact Assessments, Statistics Canada will conduct privacy impact assessments for non-statistical programs and activities involving the collection, use or disclosure of personal information that raise privacy, confidentiality or security risks.

The following are summaries of Statistics Canada's privacy impact assessments for statistical and non-statistical programs:

Statistical programs

Also see the Supplements to Statistics Canada's Generic Privacy Impact Assessment.

The following Privacy Impact Assessments are now covered by Statistics Canada's Generic Privacy Impact Assessment approved in January 2016.

Other programs