Manitoba Enacts New Privacy Legislation

With little fanfare, it appears that Manitoba is the newest province in Canada to enact personal information protection legislation that governs the private sector.

Bill 211, The Personal Information Protection and Identity Theft Prevention Act , was passed by the Manitoba Legislature on 12 September 2013, and given Royal Assent on 13 September 2013. The new Act awaits proclamation and is not yet in force.

At first glance, the new law look similar in approach, scope and application to those statutes found in Alberta and British Columbia (with the addition of breach notification) but any formal commentary will have to wait until a closer read of its provisions. I did notice interesting carve-outs for political parties and those running for elected office. With this enactment, it’s likely PIPEDA will eventually “vacate” another province.