Complaints about privacy can be made directly to a public body or to the Ombud. They will review your complaint and handle it according to their complaint process.
Find out how to make a privacy complaint to a public body or the Ombud.
Complaints about privacy can be made directly to a public body or to the Ombud. They will review your complaint and handle it according to their complaint process.
If you have concerns about a public body’s privacy practices or how they’ve handled your personal information, you can make a complaint to the public body or to the Ombud.
You can try to address your concerns with the public body first before complaining to the Ombud. Many issues can be quickly and effectively addressed this way. Refer to the list of public bodies to find out who to contact about your privacy complaint.
If you don’t want to deal directly with the public body or they’re unable to resolve your concerns, you can make a complaint to the Ombud. Complete a privacy compliant form and submit it to the Ombud.
Each public body will have its own established privacy complaint process. Contact the public body directly to learn more about what happens after your complaint is made.
The Ombud will try to informally resolve your complaint through discussions with you and the public body. If they find a public body did not properly handle your personal information, they will work with them to ensure corrective measures are put in place.
The Ombud may decide to conduct a formal investigation if a privacy complaint can’t be resolved informally.
During a formal investigation the Ombud will review the complaint and may seek further comments from you and the public body. At the end of the investigation the Ombud will inform you and the public body of the outcome of the investigation and explain their findings and any recommendations that may be needed.
If you made a complaint to the Ombud and they refuse to investigate, then there is no right of appeal. There is also no right of appeal if a public body decides not to follow a recommendation issued by the Ombud in response to your privacy complaint. If you are not satisfied with the response, you can discuss your options with the public body or the Ombud.