Commissioner notes critical importance of privacy protection for children as part of marking Data Privacy Week
The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) of Alberta is marking international Data Privacy Week by highlighting its ongoing work to protect the privacy rights of children and youth.
Data Privacy Week is celebrated around the world each year. In 2026, it takes place from January 26th through January 30th.
“In an increasingly digital world, children’s personal information is collected, used, altered, and shared in ways and on a scale that requires heightened care, accountability, and oversight,” said Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta Diane McLeod. “Children and youth are among the most vulnerable users of digital services, particularly when technology is used in education, or for social purposes. That said, I am pleased to see progress in terms of positive and necessary measures being taken. For example, Alberta’s new Protection of Privacy Act (POPA) designates children’s information as sensitive, requiring additional protection and due care. It is my hope and recommendation that upcoming changes to Alberta’s private sector privacy legislation will also further enhance privacy protection for children and protect them from associated harms. Protecting the privacy of children is a top priority for my office, as highlighted in my 2026-29 Business Plan.”
In recent years, the OIPC has undertaken and participated in various significant initiatives focused on children’s privacy. Some notable initiatives that took place in the last year are:
- In November 2025, the Alberta OIPC joined privacy regulators across Canada in issuing a joint statement on protecting the privacy of children and youth in the classroom through responsible educational technologies. The statement called on governments, school authorities, and technology providers to ensure that educational technologies are designed and used in ways that respect children’s privacy, minimize data collection, and provide meaningful safeguards.
- That same month, the Alberta OIPC published an investigation report into the PowerSchool privacy breach, which affected many schools and school boards in Alberta and elsewhere. The Alberta OIPC and its counterpart in Ontario coordinated their investigations to enhance collaboration and information-sharing in the handling of cross-jurisdictional investigations. The key focus of the investigations was on safeguarding students’ personal information. The resulting reports underscored the heightened obligations that organizations have when handling children’s personal information and the serious consequences that can arise from inadequate security practices. The Commissioners called on their respective governments to support the education sector by using their procurement lever to strengthen the bargaining power of educational bodies when negotiating agreements with edtech service providers, in order to enable educational bodies to meet their privacy law requirements.
- The Alberta OIPC participated in the 2025 Global Privacy Enforcement Network (GPEN) sweep, which focused on children’s privacy in online apps and educational technology. As part of the sweep, the OIPC of Alberta examined whether apps used by children in the province were providing clear information, limiting data collection, and offering appropriate protections for children and youth. The results of the sweep will be published in 2026.
- Also in 2025, the Alberta OIPC worked jointly with various provincial and federal counterparts on a joint investigation into TikTok. The investigation found that TikTok’s age-assurance measures and privacy protections were inadequate, and that advertisers were able to target youth, based on their profiles. The findings highlight systemic risks associated with platforms that fail to design services with children’s privacy in mind. Earlier work of the federal, provincial, and territorial privacy regulators promotes good privacy design practices and calls on organisations to prevent ‘deceptive design’ practices, which are used on websites and mobile apps to influence, manipulate, or coerce users to make decisions that are not in children’s best interests.
The Alberta OIPC regularly works with federal, territorial and other provincial privacy regulators to maximize the efficiency and impact of its work. Joint investigations, guidance development and resolutions allow regulators to address cross-jurisdictional privacy issues more effectively, particularly where children’s personal information is involved. The Alberta OIPC also participates in international groups, when doing so advances the interests of Albertans.
“Children deserve to learn and play without having their personal information misused or exploited, including while participating in online activities,” McLeod added. “They should not be subjected to harm due to the pursuit of profit by others. During Data Privacy Week, we re-affirm our commitment to work with partners in Alberta, across Canada, and internationally to ensure that children’s privacy remains at the centre of our privacy protection efforts.”
Through the OIPC, the Information and Privacy Commissioner performs the responsibilities set out in Alberta’s access to information and privacy laws, the Access to Information Act, the Protection of Privacy Act, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act during the transition period, the Health Information Act, and the Personal Information Protection Act. The Commissioner operates independently of government.
For more information:
Elaine Schiman
Communications Manager
Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta
communications@oipc.ab.ca
Mobile: (587) 983-8766