Alberta needs to lead the way when it comes to protecting the privacy of Albertans. To allow this to happen, minor administrative amendments are required for clarity and streamlining in both the Protection of Privacy Act (POPA) and the Access to Information Act (ATIA). This will be done through Bill 46: Protection of Privacy and Access to Information Statutes Amendment Act.
The amendments in the Protection of Privacy and Access to Information Statutes Amendment Act reflect feedback from consultations with public bodies about the draft regulations in January and February 2025.
“Bill 46: Protection of Privacy and Access to Information Statutes Amendment Act, 2025 is another step forward in our commitment to modernizing our privacy legislation to better protect the privacy of Albertans. Ensuring clearly worded legislation supports the Alberta government’s commitment to implementing the strongest privacy protection and the strictest penalties for privacy violations in Canada.”
“These changes focus on clarity and consistency and will ensure the smooth implementation of the two new acts, while strengthening privacy protections and access to information in Alberta.”
The supporting regulations to the Protection of Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act will be ready later in spring 2025 and will be proclaimed at the same time as the two acts. Feedback from public bodies is helping inform the regulations, which will provide further details and instruction. This spring, Alberta will update all laws referencing the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) to reflect the new acts.
The two acts were passed December 2024 to replace the FOIP Act and will come into force this spring.
Quick facts
- Amendments to the Protection of Privacy Act clarify privacy protections and application of the act, including:
- Clarifying privacy protections and safeguards for disclosure by specifying disclosure of non-personal data and data derived from personal information must comply with POPA and are not subject to access to information requests under the ATIA.
- Clarifying that disclosure of non-personal data provision is not intended to restrict the reporting, summarizing or publication of aggregate or statistical information.
- Explaining that provisions related to data matching and non-personal data do not apply to the Office of Statistics and Information to ensure there are no impacts to their current practices.
- Amendments to both the Protection of Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act include:
- Aligned wording between POPA and ATIA in regard to judicial administration records.
- New regulatory powers to support the upcoming consequential amendments to any legislation that references the FOIP Act.
Related information
Related news
- Strengthening privacy protections for the digital age (Nov 6, 2024)
- Modernizing access to information for the digital age (Nov 6, 2024)