A Minister's Guide to Protecting Personal Information

A Minister’s Guide to Protecting Personal Information 3 When a Minister or a ministerial assistant speaks with a citizen, have the citizen consent to the collection of personal information. For more information on consent, please see below. Further, once a Ministers’ office collects personal information, it is up to the Ministers’ office to protect the personal information. For more information, see the section What is my duty to protect? below. Further, section 26 requires Ministers’ offices to collect personal information directly from the subject individual, except in the circumstances listed in subsections 26(1)(a) to (h) of FOIP. WHAT IS USE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION? A use of personal information means a reference to or a manipulation of personal information by the Ministers’ office, but does not include disclosure to another person or organization. Section 27 of FOIP requires that Ministers’ offices take reasonable measures to ensure the personal information used is as accurate and complete as possible. Section 28 of FOIP provides: 28 No government institution shall use personal information under its control without the consent, given in the prescribed manner, of the individual to whom the information relates, except: (a) for the purpose for which the information was obtained or compiled, or for a use that is consistent with that purpose; or (b) for a purpose for which the information may be disclosed to the government institution pursuant to subsection 29(2). Ministers’ offices can only use personal information in three circumstances: 1) If it has the consent of the subject individual. See the section on consent below. 2) For the purpose it was collected or a use consistent with that purpose. As mentioned in the section on the collection of personal information, Ministers’ offices must have identified an authorized purpose for collecting personal information before it is collected. 3) In circumstances described in subsection 29(2) of FOIP or The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Regulations (the Regulations). Using personal information for any other purpose is not authorized under FOIP.

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