EDMONTON — The Alberta government is asking Albertans and private-sector organizations to share their views as it moves to modernize the province’s private-sector privacy law.
A public consultation opened Monday on potential updates to the Personal Information Protection Act, which governs how private organizations collect, use, disclose and protect personal information. The legislation came into force in 2004 and has not seen a major update since 2010, despite significant changes in technology and data use.
The government says updating the act is intended to strengthen privacy rights, align Alberta with global standards and reflect evolving public expectations, while continuing to support innovation and business activity.
“Albertans expect the strongest privacy protections in the country, and we want to hear directly from them to help shape the updated Protection of Privacy Act,” said Nate Glubish, Minister of Technology and Innovation, in a statement.
The consultation runs from Feb. 2 to May 1, with an online public survey open from Feb. 2 to Feb. 16. The government says feedback from Albertans, subject-matter experts, private organizations and the information and privacy commissioner will be considered as potential legislative and regulatory changes are developed.
Officials say the review will examine ways to modernize privacy protections in a digital environment where data collection and use have expanded rapidly since the law was last updated.
The government has been engaging stakeholders on privacy legislation since 2021, and says the renewed consultation is intended to confirm priorities, assess impacts on organizations and ensure any future changes reflect current digital realities and public expectations.
More information on the consultation and access to the survey is available through the Alberta government’s website.
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