Canada
5 apps we list are based here
The laws that apply to a company based in Canada. Facts only, each with its source.
The laws, in short
Main privacy law
The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA, 2000) covers personal data that organisations handle in commercial activities.
Tech name: PIPEDA (S.C. 2000, c. 5), section 4 · What's that? · Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Justice Laws Website)
Who enforces it
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada oversees PIPEDA and the Privacy Act.
Tech name: OPC (Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada) · About the OPC
Do EU privacy rules cover it?Partly
The European Commission has found Canada's rules adequate for commercial organisations only.
Tech name: EU adequacy decision (commercial organisations) · What's that? · European Commission: Adequacy decisions
Laws that let the government ask for data
The CSIS Act lets the spy agency get court warrants to intercept communications. The Criminal Code lets judges order companies to produce data.
Tech name: CSIS Act s.21; Criminal Code s.487.014 production orders · Canadian Security Intelligence Service Act, section 21 (Justice Laws Website)
Must companies keep connection data?
We found no Canadian law making providers keep everyone's connection data. Police can demand that specific data be preserved.
Tech name: Criminal Code s.487.012 preservation demands · What's that? · Criminal Code, section 487.012 (Justice Laws Website)
Published intelligence-sharing agreements
Canada joined the UKUSA intelligence-sharing agreement in 1949, part of the 'Five Eyes' with the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand.
Tech name: UKUSA Agreement (Five Eyes) · GCHQ: Brief history of UKUSA
Last checked Nov 4, 2026. Laws change, so every fact is true as of the date we checked it, and we check again. How we check