The day after Dr. Tom Noseworthy and his colleagues shared their concerns about the privacy of individuals' health-care files, the federal government proposed legislation which would include stringent protection of personal information held by the private sector. As introduced by Industry Minister John Manley, Bill C-54, the draft Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act is designed to encourage electronic commerce. However, by including specific privacy measures, the government is trying to assuage Canadians' fears about the use or misuse of their health and other personal files. While aimed primarily at federally-regulated industries such as banking, broadcasting and interprovincial transportation, the bill would apply to all interprovincial or international trade in personal information. Three years after it becomes law, it would apply more broadly to all personal information collected, used, or disclosed in the course of commercial activities.
Personal information held by the public sector is covered by the Privacy Act.