Manufacturers of internet of things devices: guidance from the Canadian Privacy Commissioner

There has been plenty written about the growth of the internet of things (IoT) market. Arguably, the global pandemic may have even crystallized the benefits of IoT solutions and pushed towards system-wide digitization across industries, communities, cities, and countries.

While there is currently no IoT specific legislation in Canada, on August 20, 2020, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) released privacy guidance for manufacturers of IoT devices. Notably, the OPC’s guidance is informed by several investigations undertaken by the federal regulator and contains a list of “must do’s” and “should do’s” for device makers. Although the OPC guidance is specific to manufacturers of IoT devices, other IoT stakeholders that may use, collect, or disclose personal information as part of deploying IoT solutions should carefully review the regulator’s guidance.

This content has been updated on May 2, 2024 at 13 h 39 min.