Privacy Act Heads Designation Order

Summary#

This is the new Privacy Act Heads of Government Institutions Designation Order (Registration SI/2024-62). It replaces an older list and updates who is officially the “head” of many federal institutions for the purposes of the Privacy Act. The Order was registered on December 18, 2024 and was made under P.C. 2024-1277 on November 29, 2024; it takes effect on the 30th day after the day on which it is made.

What it does#

• Repeals the old designation order (SI/83-114) and replaces it with an updated Privacy Act Heads of Government Institutions Designation Order (SI/2024-62).
• Updates the list that names which person or office counts as the “head” of each listed government institution for the Privacy Act. That list ties institutions to specific ministers, chairs, presidents, directors or other positions.
• Cleans up administrative issues: fixes obsolete job titles and institution names, removes spent or unnecessary designations, corrects typographical errors, and modernizes the order’s format.
• In some cases it changes who is the head — either by naming a different position directly or by removing an old designation so the default rule applies.
• Notes that internal consultations with several federal departments took place and no concerns were raised.

Who's affected#

• People who make requests for their own personal information under the Privacy Act. The identity of the “head” matters because that person has responsibilities for handling those requests.
• Staff who run privacy and access-to-information offices inside the listed institutions.
• The federal institutions named in the schedule. Examples include the Canada Revenue Agency, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Library and Archives of Canada, and Shared Services Canada (the full schedule names many more).
• If you are unsure whether an institution you deal with is on the list, the schedule in the Order is the definitive source.

Why it matters#

• It clarifies who is officially responsible for privacy duties at each listed institution. That affects where requests, complaints or appeals are directed.
• For most people this is an administrative update with no immediate change to how they request information. But it can change the official contact or decision-maker for privacy requests at some organizations.
• The Order gives institutions time to adjust: it comes into force on the 30th day after the day on which it is made, so affected organizations have a short transition period.