Solomon touts regulator’s unprecedented ‘enforcement power’ under privacy, social media bills

It will no longer be the purview of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada to enforce the government’s consumer privacy law, as a not-yet-created regulator would take the duty off the office’s plate in newly-tabled legislation. Bill C-36, the Protecting Privacy and Consumer Data Act (PPCDA), was tabled by Artificial Intelligence (AI) Minister Evan Solomon on Monday as the long-awaited update to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). The law, which regulates how private companies can use Canadians’ data, would be enforced by the same independent regulator proposed in the Safe Social Media Act, which was tabled on June 10. The regulator will have several enforcement tactics at its disposal, including the ability to issue orders, administrative monetary penalties, and fines. In an interview with The Wire Report on Monday evening, Solomon (Toronto Centre, Ont.) said “we have never had a regulator that can have that kind of enforcement power.” “So we believe that it is actually more efficient to make sure if we’re setting up a new, independent regulatory body on the safe social media side, that the commission structure works well as well to handle not only the safe social media, but the protecting privacy and consumer act,” he said. After receiving Royal Assent, the majority of the updated privacy bill will still not come into force until after the regulator is established, which would take about 18 months after the Safe Social Media Act is passed. Neither bill is expected to pass through Parliament before the House of Commons rises for the summer later this week. Currently, Privacy Commissioner Philippe Dufresne is responsible for enforcing PIPEDA and the Privacy Act, the latter of which regulates how the federal government uses Canadians’ data. While Dufresne can launch investigations and provide recommendations to companies or government departments that are non-complaint, he does not have the authority to issue orders or penalties. Dufresne has long called on the government to appoint him with order-making capabilities under both the Privacy Act and PIPEDA. When asked by reporters why the legislation relies on a regulator that hasn’t been established, instead of expanding the mandate of the privacy commissioner to include the enforcement of both bills, a senior official at a media technical briefing wouldn’t give a direct answer. The official said the government thought it was important to have one regulator overseeing both bills, due to the digital environment overlap between the two pieces of legislation. The updated privacy law proposes requirements to, among other things, provide Canadians with the right to deletion of their personal information, including deepfakes, and require meaningful consent for the use of personal information accompanied with plain-language usage explanations. In a statement, the privacy commissioner said he was “pleased to see many of my recommendations reflected in the new Bill.” “In particular, I welcome proposals to recognize privacy as a fundamental right, an explicit recognition of the best interests of children, requirements to conduct privacy impact assessments, and strong enforcement powers,” the statement said of other provisions in the bill. Dufresne will remain in charge of enforcing the Privacy Act, which would require its own update if his office were to obtain order-issuing powers. The difference in the enforcement powers between the two privacy laws means companies can be held accountable for their non-compliance, but the same cannot be done for government departments without initiating a court process. When asked whether this creates a regulatory gap, Solomon told The Wire Report “what the Privacy Act does is very specific and is different than the obligations under private companies.” “We feel that the Office of the Privacy Commissioner as an independent officer of Parliament will do a very good job , and will continue to do a very good job.” mcollins@thewirereport.ca

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Solomon touts regulator’s unprecedented ‘enforcement power’ under privacy, social media bills

Regulatory | By Maria Collins |June 16, 2026

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Regulatory |
By Maria Collins
|June 16, 2026