Foreign Carriers Must Comply With Canadian Privacy Laws

A Canadian resident sought information from KLM about its policies and practices relating to the management of his personal information as a passenger.

The airline was slow to respond and ultimately provided a minimal response.

The passenger complained to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that KLM was in breach of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ("PIPEDA").

Notwithstanding KLM's foreign incorporation, the Commission took jurisdiction over the complaint on the grounds that there was a real and substantial connection between the complaint, the parties and Canada.  In particular, the complainant was a Canadian resident; KLM offers services within Canada; and the complainant originally booked his flight from Toronto.