Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act
AKA  BILL C6

This new act will come into effect on January 1,2001.  It, or "substantially similar" provincial laws, will eventually apply to every organization where personal information is collected, used or disclosed in the course of commercial activity.  It will also apply to employee information of an organization that operates a "federal work, undertaking or business" (FWUB").

PIPEDA will be implemented in three stages over the course of four years:

January 1,2001
The Act will apply to all FWUBs (such as banks, airlines, and broadcasters) and to organizations that collect personal information within one province but sell it in another.

January 1,2002
The Act will apply to health information of those organizations to which the Act already applies.

January 1,2004
The Act will apply to all organizations that collect, use, or disclose personal information in the course of commercial activity within a province, unless in the meantime the province has passed "substantially similar" legislation and has been granted an exemption by the federal cabinet.