Global Affairs Canada fails to demonstrate its authority to collect the personal information contained in diplomatic passports
The complainant alleged that Global Affairs Canada (GAC) improperly collected personal information from his diplomatic passport for an administrative investigation. The complainant had used his diplomatic passport for personal travel, and GAC requested the original passport as evidence. GAC did not demonstrate how the personal travel information collected related to its operating programs or activities, nor did it provide sufficient cooperation to confirm its authority to collect this information.
- Whether GAC had the authority to collect personal travel information from a diplomatic passport.
- Whether the collection of personal travel information related directly to GAC's operating programs or activities.
- Whether GAC provided sufficient information regarding the administrative investigation and its authority to collect the passport.
Complaint well-founded
Global Affairs Canada failed to demonstrate that it had the authority to collect the personal travel information contained in the diplomatic passport, as it could not establish that the collection related directly to an operating program or activity of the institution.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
GAC was recommended to clarify its policies and practices regarding the personal use of diplomatic passports and the collection of associated personal information, and to disseminate these clarified terms to affected individuals.
- s. 3 Privacy Act
- s. 4 Privacy Act
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