ESDC’s usage of images obtained through video surveillance for a fact finding exercise to monitor an employee’s departure is not compliant with the Privacy Act
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) investigated a complaint that Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) improperly used video surveillance footage to monitor an employee's departure times. The OPC found that ESDC's use of the footage for this purpose was not consistent with the stated security collection purpose and that employees were not adequately informed about the camera usage. ESDC agreed to implement a clear policy on video surveillance use and inform individuals about collection purposes.
- Use of personal information collected via video surveillance for purposes other than security.
- Failure to inform employees about the collection and purpose of video surveillance.
- Whether the use of video surveillance was an exceptional measure for a pressing problem.
- Adherence to the institution's Personal Information Bank (PIB) for consistent uses.
Complaint conditionally resolved – corrective measures implemented
ESDC contravened sections 5 and 7 of the Privacy Act by using video surveillance footage for a purpose (verifying departure times) inconsistent with its stated security purpose without consent, and by failing to inform employees about the collection and use of this information.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
ESDC committed to adopting a departmental policy on video surveillance and informing individuals about its use, with recommendations to limit such surveillance and use less intrusive measures.
- s. 4 Privacy Act
- s. 5 Privacy Act
- s. 7(a) Privacy Act
- s. 8(2) Privacy Act
This summary is informational only and not legal advice.