Alberta Privacy Regulator Issues New Guidance For Public Sector Compliance

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta (OIPC) has released new guidance to assist public bodies with privacy management programs (PMP) and privacy impact assessments under Alberta’s Protection of Privacy Act¹ (POPA), which came into effect in June 2025 (click here to read our overview).

Under the legislation, public bodies were required to establish and implement PMPs not later than June 11, 2026. The OIPC has now provided the following guidance on their implementation:

1. Developing a comprehensive privacy management program

Privacy officer: To facilitate organizational commitment required for a PMP, public bodies must designate a privacy officer, who:

• is responsible for POPA compliance and for the development, implementation, and maintenance of the PMP;