Bill C-27: Upcoming Amendments To Privacy And AI Legislation

After the second reading of Bill C-27 was completed last April, the Standing Committee on Industry and Technology (INDU) finally began its review of the highly anticipated bill on Sept. 26, 2023. The very first witness to appear was Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, François-Philippe Champagne, who took the opportunity to announce significant amendments to the bill that was originally introduced in June 2022. Here is what you should keep an eye on.

Privacy

With respect to the first part of the bill, the Consumer Privacy Protection Act (CPPA), the proposed amendments are threefold:

1. Privacy as a fundamental right

The Government proposes to amend Bill C-27's preamble and the purpose clause of the CPPA (section 5) to expressly recognized the right to privacy as fundamental. This change would ensure that Canadians' privacy rights receive proper recognition in the interpretation of the Act. While courts have already recognized that privacy has