Applicability of the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) in Canada - Alberta

Alberta operates under a provincial data protection framework that governs the handling of personal information by private sector organizations. The primary role of this framework is fulfilled by the Personal Information Protection Act, which establishes the legal requirements for the collection, use, and disclosure of personal information.

The Personal Information Protection Act was adopted on May 14, 2003 and became effective on January 1, 2004. The most recent amendment to the legislation is the Personal Information Protection Amendment Regulation, AR 141/2025, which became effective on June 11, 2025.

Material Applicability

The Alberta Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) defines its scope through several key exemptions and limitations:

Government and Public Agency Exemption

PIPA Section 4(3)(g)(v):

"This Act does not apply to the following: the collection, use or disclosure of personal information by the following officers of the Legislature if the collection, use or disclosure, as the case may be, relates to the exercise of that officer's functions under an enactment: the Information and Privacy Commissioner"

PIPA Section 4(3)(l)(ii):

"This Act does not apply to the following: personal information contained in a record of any type that has been created by or for an elected or appointed member of a public body"

This exemption ensures that public officials can perform their duties without impediment while maintaining separate privacy regimes for public and private sectors.

Journalistic and Business Contact Purposes

PIPA Section 4(3)(c):

"This Act does not apply to the following: the collection, use or disclosure of personal information [...] if the collection, use or disclosure, as the case may be, is for journalistic purposes and for no other purpose"

PIPA Section 4(3)(d):

"This Act does not apply to the following: the collection, use or disclosure of an individual's business contact information if the collection, use or disclosure, as the case may be, is for the purposes of enabling the individual to be contacted in relation to the individual's business responsibilities and for no other purpose"

Judicial and Quasi-judicial Activities

PIPA Section 4(3)(o):

"This Act does not apply to the following: personal information contained in a personal note, communication or draft decision created by or for a person who is acting in a judicial, quasi-judicial or adjudicative capacity"

Archival Records

PIPA Section 4(3)(j)(i)(B):

"This Act does not apply to the following: personal information contained in any record that was transferred to an archival institution before the coming into force of this Act where access to the record is governed by an agreement entered into by the archival institution and the donor of the record before the coming into force of this Act"

Purpose and Reasonableness Standard

PIPA Section 3:

"The purpose of this Act is to govern the collection, use and disclosure of personal information by organizations in a manner that recognizes both the right of an individual to have his or her personal information protected and the need of organizations to collect, use or disclose personal information for purposes that are reasonable"