Addressing an envelope to canada from us12/10/2023 ![]() The decision to include an individual in a mailing list that it rents out to third parties directly affects the individual by causing them to receive unsolicited marketing mail. Canada Post's use of personal information for its mail marketing program is an “administrative purpose”.Section 5 of the Privacy Act requires government institutions to obtain authorization from individuals to collect information about them indirectly if they intend to use the information for an administrative purpose (unless certain limited conditions apply).Canada Post has not agreed to take this corrective action, and we urge it to re-consider this position. Our Office recommended that Canada Post cease its current practice of using and disclosing personal information leveraged from its operational data for mail marketing activities until it could seek and obtain Canadians’ authorization. We found that Canada Post has not obtained individuals’ authorization to indirectly collect personal information from the outside of envelopes that it delivers for the purpose of enabling its marketing program, and is therefore in contravention of section 5 of the Privacy Act. The information collected by Canada Post for this program includes information about where individuals live and what type of online shopping they do (based on who they receive packages from). ![]() An individual complained to our Office about Canada Post’s practice of using the personal information that it gathers from the outside of delivered envelopes and parcels to create mail marketing lists that it rents to the private sector.
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