Alberta’s Private-Sector Privacy Law: Consultation on Potential Legislative Updates

The Government of Alberta has launched a public consultation to modernize the Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA”), which governs how private-sector organizations collect, use, and protect personal information.

PIPA has been in place for over two decades and has not undergone major revision since 2010. In that time, the privacy landscape has changed dramatically, especially with the ever increasing use of artificial intelligence. The Government of Alberta has signaled that significant reforms are now being considered to strengthen privacy rights and reflect today’s digital environment.

This review follows recent changes in Alberta’s public-sector privacy legislation in 2025 with the introduction of the Protection of Privacy Act and the Access to Information Act. A similar review process is now being applied to private-sector privacy legislation.

The public consultation process is underway from February 2 to May 1, 2026, and includes an online survey open from February 2 to February 16, 2026. Submissions will be taken into account in considering potential amendments to the current private sector legislative framework.

Private-sector organizations are encouraged to review the consultation materials and consider providing feedback through the public consultation process. Information regarding the consultation and online survey can be found here.

The McLennan Ross privacy team is available to assist with any questions arising from this article.