Which of the following qualifies as personal information under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)?

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) defines personal information as "information about an identifiable individual." An employee's credit record is sensitive financial information directly linked to that individual and clearly falls under this definition. While PIPEDA applies broadly, it contains a specific exemption for an employee's name, title, business address, and business telephone number when this information is used for the purpose of communicating with the person in relation to their employment or profession. Therefore, a credit record is protected personal information, whereas the other options are generally considered business contact information.

A. An employee's business address is typically excluded from the definition of personal information under PIPEDA when used for business communication.
B. An employee's name, when used in a professional context, is generally not considered personal information under PIPEDA's business contact information exemption.
D. An employee's business telephone number is also generally exempt under PIPEDA as business contact information.

1. Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (S.C. 2000, c. 5), Section 2(1), Definition of "personal information".

2. Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. (2019). PIPEDA in brief. Section: "What is personal information?". The guide clarifies that information like credit records is personal, while business contact information is often exempt.

3. IFSE Institute, Canadian Investment Funds Course (CIFC), Module 2: The Mutual Fund Industry and Regulation, Chapter 3: Regulation and Compliance, Section: "Privacy Legislation".