PIPEDA

THE PERSONAL INFORMATION PROTECTION AND ELECTRONIC DOCUMENTS ACT

What is PIPEDA?

Pipeda is federal legislation which defines how organizations and businesses in Canada may use personal information obtained in the course of conducting their activities.

What institutions fall under the PIPEDA Act?

PIPEDA regulates private sector businesses, institutions and charitable organizations.

How is personal information defined under the Act?

PIPEDA defines personal information as ?information about an identifiable individual? that includes any factual or subjective information recorded or not, in any form. For example the following :

• name
• address
• telephone number
• gender
• Identification numbers
• income
• blood type
• credit records
• loan records

What guidelines about personal information must be followed under the Act?

Under PIPEDA, personal information must be:

• Collected with consent and for reasonable purposes
  
• Used and disclosed for the limited purposes for which it was collected
  
• Accurate
  
• Accessible for inspection and correction
  
• Stored securely
  

How doe PIPEDA legislation impinge on the activities of the Latvian National Federation in Canada?

The LNFC collects and stores member personal information : name, address, telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, age and gender . PIPEDA protects member interests in that LNFC may not divulge or sell such information to any other organization without individual member compliance.

How does a LNFC member indicate consent for such information to be disseminated?

LNFC must obtain a signature from a member when asking specific answers to specific statements with respect to how information is to be used and why and to whom. Also consent can be granted by online consent(e-consent). In the past LNFC has asked ?Do you consent to the release of your name and address to other organizations YES_____ NO____? and recorded each members response in the data base.

How must LNFC act if consent/denial is not recorded in the database?

LNFC may not divulge member personal information with individuals, business or organizations without each member?s permission. This means that LNFC may not share its data base without member?s compliance.