Data Protection Enforcement: What The EU Experience Suggests Might Be Around The Corner For Canadian Businesses

In Canada, private sector provincial and federal privacy legislation has historically been enforced through a "name and shame" regime (with regulators publicly naming organizations that fail to comply). In Canada, private sector provincial and federal privacy legislation has historically been enforced through a "name and shame" regime (with regulators publicly naming organizations that fail to comply).

However, recent and proposed legislative changes are opening the door for Canadian privacy regulators to impose significant fines on organizations that do not comply with new privacy standards. The European Union's recent experience with privacy law enforcement provides some insight into how Canadian regulators may use this enhanced enforcement power.