PA-048557, PA-048561 — Canadian Air Transport Security Authority (CATSA)

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) investigated a complaint against CATSA concerning its practice of notifying police when cannabis was found in a traveller's possession. The OPC found that CATSA's collection and disclosure of personal information for this purpose contravened sections 4 and 8 of the Privacy Act, as its mandate is focused on aviation security, not general law enforcement. While CATSA agreed to cease collecting and disclosing such information when the cannabis possession is not clearly illegal, the record-keeping aspect of the complaint was found not well-founded.

• Whether CATSA's collection of personal information from travellers possessing cannabis was consistent with its mandate under the Privacy Act.
• Whether CATSA's disclosure of personal information to police regarding cannabis possession was consistent with the Privacy Act.
• Whether CATSA's record retention practices for this information complied with the Privacy Act.