A business is asking for your date of birth? A potential employer wants your social insurance number? An app is asking to access your location? You don’t have to provide all the information you’re asked for. Before sharing information, make sure you understand why it’s being collected and what it will be used for.
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Your personal information belongs to you
When you share your personal information with an organization, it must protect your information and may not use it or share it with others without your permission.
An organization can’t collect just any information about you, even if you agree to provide it. It must have a legitimate reason for asking for the information, and the information must be necessary for that purpose.
Organizations must also get your agreement before collecting information. For this agreement to be valid, you must understand what information is being collected, why, and how it will be used.
Organizations must inform you
Organizations doing business in Quebec must clearly explain to you what they will do with your personal information. They must tell you:
- the reasons for which they’re collecting this information,
- how the information is being collected,
- how the information will be used,
- which persons or organizations the information could be shared with,
- whether information might be transferred outside Quebec,
- that you have the right to see the information they have about you and ask for it to be corrected if it’s inaccurate.
You can also ask to know:
- how long your information will be kept,
- which categories of people inside the organization will have access to your information,
- how to contact the person responsible for the protection of personal information, sometimes called the privacy officer.
Usually, personal information is collected directly from the person concerned. But there are exceptions. For example, in the case of a minor, a person responsible for the child can sometimes consent to the collection of personal information for them.
Is your information really needed?
You may be asked for personal information to access a service or start a new job. Before providing it, ask yourself if the organization really needs this information and if there’s an option that better protects your privacy.
The more sensitive the information is, the more important it is that you ask yourself why it’s being requested.
For example, if the only reason for requesting information is to confirm your identity, it may be enough to show your ID. There may be no need for the organization to photocopy it or take a picture of it and keep a copy.
During the hiring process, employers should only ask for information needed to assess your application. Information regarding someone’s criminal record or medical conditions can only be collected if it’s truly relevant to the position.
In addition, your social insurance number may be required once you’ve started a job. Your future employer isn’t allowed to ask for it at the interview stage.
No one is required to receive ads. You can refuse to receive marketing emails, and you can ask to be taken off mailing lists.
Check our articles on credit reports and lease agreements to find out about your rights in these situations.
Protect your personal information
Fraud, identity theft and phishing are everyday risks. By taking certain precautions, you can better protect your personal information and your privacy.
Before sharing personal information, take the time to ask yourself a few questions:
- Who is asking for this information?
- What information are they asking for?
- Why is it needed?
- How will it be used?
- Whom will it be shared with?
- How long will it be kept?
If the answers to these questions aren’t clear, check the organization’s privacy policy or contact the person responsible for the protection of personal information.
In general:
- Réfléchissez avant de communiquer des renseignements personnels, surtout lorsqu’ils sont sensibles.
- Demandez-vous si les renseignements demandés sont réellement nécessaires.
- Ne fournissez pas automatiquement un renseignement simplement parce qu’il est demandé.
- Prenez le temps de comprendre comment vos renseignements seront utilisés et protégés.