Wanted by the CBSA Program
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) investigated a complaint alleging the improper disclosure of personal information on the Canada Border Service Agency's (CBSA) "Wanted by the CBSA" website. While the disclosure itself was found to be permissible under the Privacy Act for immigration law enforcement, the CBSA failed to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the information. The investigation also found the CBSA failed to conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment before launching the program. The CBSA accepted all five OPC recommendations for improvement.
- Whether the CBSA improperly disclosed personal information on its "Wanted by the CBSA" website.
- Whether the CBSA conducted a Privacy Impact Assessment prior to launching the program.
- Whether the CBSA took reasonable steps to ensure the accuracy and completeness of the disclosed personal information.
- Whether the purpose of disclosure was consistent with the Privacy Act.
Complaint partially well-founded — corrective measures accepted.
The disclosure of personal information was a permissible use for immigration law enforcement. However, the CBSA failed to ensure the accuracy of the information and did not conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment.
AI-generated summary for reference only. Always verify against the official decision ↗
The CBSA accepted five recommendations to revisit the amount of personal information disclosed, improve notification letters, clarify legal distinctions, enhance profile removal practices, and revise personal information banks.
- Privacy Act
This summary is informational only and not legal advice.