Bill C-36: Rewriting The Rules For Canadian Private Sector Privacy

Introduction

On June 15, 2026, Canada’s Minister of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation introduced Bill C-36, An Act to enact the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act, to amend the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and to make amendments to other Acts (“Bill C-36”). Bill C-36 represents the federal government’s third attempt at reforming Canada’s private sector privacy regime.

Bill C-36 comes just a few days after the introduction of Bill C-34, An Act to enact the Digital Safety Act and the Digital Safety Commission of Canada Act and to make consequential amendments to other Acts, which seeks to regulate social media, chatbot and online services. Both bills were prefigured in Canada’s national artificial intelligence strategy released on June 4, 2026 and form key parts of this new policy framework.