How to remove your personal information in Canada

How to use it

1. 1

   Ask companies what they hold, in writing

   Send a written access request under PIPEDA to the organization's privacy officer, at the address in its privacy policy if there is one. Our PIPEDA access request template is ready to copy. The organization has 30 days to respond, extendable by up to 30 more with notice, at minimal or no cost to you.

   Ask who your information was disclosed to as well. That tells you which other companies to contact next.

2. 2

   Withdraw consent and ask for deletion

   You can withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice (PIPEDA Schedule 1, clause 4.3.8). Information an organization no longer needs for the purposes it identified should be destroyed, erased or made anonymous (clause 4.5.3), and if you show that information is inaccurate, the fix can include deleting it (clause 4.9.5).

   What it doesn't do: give you an absolute right to have everything deleted. Say which information you want gone and why the company no longer needs it.

   Our guides cover the process for companies that operate in Canada, including Equifax, LocateFamily.com, CallerSmart, Experian Marketing Services and LiveRamp.

3. 3

   Opt out of the National Register of Electors

   Write to Elections Canada with your name, date of birth, current home and mailing addresses, and your signature. In the same kind of letter you can also ask it not to share your details with provincial and territorial electoral agencies.

   What it does: takes you out of the permanent register. Lists of electors drawn from it (name, address and a unique identifier) go to members of Parliament, political parties and candidates.

   What it doesn't do: take away your right to vote. You'll stop getting a voter information card automatically, and you'll need to register at your local Elections Canada office during the revision period or at your polling place.

4. 4

   Register on the National Do Not Call List

   Register your home, mobile, fax or VoIP number on the National Do Not Call List online or at 1-866-580-DNCL (3625). It's free, and telemarketers have 31 days from the date you register to stop calling.

   What it doesn't do: stop calls from registered charities, political parties and candidates, surveys, newspapers selling subscriptions, or companies you have an existing business relationship with. Ask those companies directly to put you on their internal do-not-call list.

5. 5

   Directors: use an address for service on federal corporation filings

   Federal corporation records are public, including directors' names and addresses. A director can give an address for service (not a PO box) instead of a home address, and changes must be filed within 15 days. It's free through the Online Filing Centre, according to Corporations Canada.

   What it doesn't do: remove older documents. Filings stay in the corporate record, even ones filed by mistake, and Corporations Canada can't remove copies from other websites.

6. 6

   Quebec: declare a professional address, or ask for non-publication

   Since 31 March 2023, businesses on Quebec's enterprise register have to declare the home address of individuals such as directors, shareholders and partners. A professional address (not a PO box) can be published instead, through an annual or current update in Mon bureau. Someone with reasonable grounds to believe publication is a serious threat to their safety can ask the Registraire des entreprises to make their information non-publishable. The Quebec government's page is in French.

7. 7

   Raise it with the organization, then the OPC

   Start with the organization's privacy officer. Sometimes it's a simple misunderstanding that's easy to fix. If it doesn't respond or you aren't satisfied, file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. For a refused access request, you have six months to complain.