2023-2024 Annual Report on the administration of the Privacy Act

1. INTRODUCTION

The Privacy Act (the “Act”) gives Canadian citizens as well as individuals and corporations present in Canada the right to access records under the control of federal government institutions, subject to limited and specific exceptions. The Act is intended to complement existing procedures for access to government information and not to limit in any way information that is normally available to the public.

Section 72 of the Act requires the head of every federal government institution to submit a report to Parliament on the administration of the Act at their institution each fiscal year.

This report was prepared pursuant to section 72 of the Act and describes how the National Film Board of Canada (the “NFB”) administered the Act in fiscal year 2023–2024.

The NFB’s mandate is to create relevant and innovative audiovisual content that interprets Canada and its diversity to Canadians and people around the world. The NFB works with filmmakers and artists from every region of Canada to produce exceptional documentaries, animated films, and interactive/immersive works rooted in Canadian experiences and realities. The NFB has long been a champion of technological and film innovation, both nationally and internationally. The NFB seeks to reflect the perspectives and experiences of communities that are systematically underrepresented in the media and to develop innovative new storytelling forms and approaches.

2. ADMINISTRATION OF THE ACT

In accordance with section 73 of the Act, the Minister of Canadian Heritage appoints the following individuals to administer the Act:

The NFB has no official entity tasked with processing access to personal information requests. The requests are forwarded to the Privacy Coordinator, who is part of the Business Affairs and Legal Services department.

The Privacy Coordinator is also responsible for coordination pursuant to the Access to Information Act. There are no other ATIP (Access to Information and Privacy) officers at the NFB.

The NFB was not party to any service agreement under section 73.1 of the Act during the period covered by this report.

3. DELEGATION ORDER

A copy of the Delegation Order is attached as Appendix A.

4. 2023–2024 PERFORMANCE

The 2023–2024 Statistical Report on the Privacy Act and the Supplemental ATIP Statistical Report for 2023–2024 are attached as Appendix B.

Percentage of requests responded to within legislated timelines

From April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024, the NFB received 1 personal information request, which was withdrawn within 30 days (100%).

Release of records

No records released; the only request was withdrawn.

Number of active requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

There are no active requests outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Number of active complaints that are outstanding from previous reporting periods

There are no complaints that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Consultations

In 2023–2024, the NFB did not receive any consultation requests from other Government of Canada institutions or organizations.

5. TRAINING AND AWARENESS

To foster a deep understanding of privacy and equip our teams with essential skills, we conducted a robust series of training and awareness activities throughout the reporting period. These initiatives aimed to cultivate a culture of privacy awareness within our workforce, emphasizing the critical role of safeguarding personal information.

Informal briefings were led by the Privacy Coordinator and covered best practices for handling personal information. They targeted both the IT department and the production team. These sessions were tailored to their specific roles and responsibilities, focusing on privacy policies, data-handling procedures and security measures.

All new NFB employees are required to take the online course “Access to Information and Privacy Fundamentals” (COR502), from the Canada School of Public Service.

6. POLICIES, GUIDELINES, PROCEDURES AND INITIATIVES

To address privacy concerns related to the use of cookies, the NFB has updated its privacy policies. These policies provide clear guidelines on the collection, use and management of information obtained through cookies.

The NFB is working to improve consent mechanisms, particularly in the digital realm, to ensure that individuals have a clear understanding of how their personal information will be used and have the ability to provide informed consent.

The NFB has improved its security measures to protect personal information, including encryption, anonymization and access controls.

The NFB took proactive steps to develop comprehensive privacy policies for various web applications, including Google Analytics.   

Furthermore, we have updated our privacy policy to reflect our ongoing efforts to protect personal information collected through equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) self-declaration questionnaires.

7. SUMMARY OF KEY ISSUES AND ACTIONS TAKEN ON COMPLAINTS

The NFB was not the subject of any complaints to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada during the period covered by this report.

8. MONITORING COMPLIANCE

No tracking of the time required to process access to information requests was conducted during the period covered by this report.

9. MATERIAL PRIVACY BREACHES

No material privacy breaches occurred during the reporting period.

10. PRIVACY IMPACT ASSESSMENTS (PIA)

The NFB completed and submitted two PIAs for evaluation during the reporting period. Below are brief summaries outlining the scope of each PIA.

SELF-IDENTIFICATION QUESTIONNAIRE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE HIRING PROCESS:

The NFB launched a voluntary self-identification questionnaire that allows job applicants to self-identify themselves as members of the four designated groups under the Employment Equity Act: women, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities and visible minorities. Applicants also have the option not to answer the questions, an option that, when used, may also provide relevant data. This questionnaire will result in a more accurate overview of representation in the entire workforce, not just in the self-identifying segment.

SELF-DECLARATION QUESTIONNAIRE FOR FILMMAKERS AND PRODUCTION TEAMS

This initiative aims to collect personal information on a voluntary basis from the members of creative teams, including producers, writers, directors, digital creators, lead performers, directors of photography, editors, sound designers, composers, animators, technical directors, user-experience designers and art directors/designers. The information may include but is not limited to first and last name, email address, role occupied (function) on a project, Indigenous identity, racial/ethnic identity, disability status, gender identity/expression, 2SLGBTQI+ status and official-language minority status. By gathering this information, we can create a plan of action whose goal is to ensure that underrepresented groups are included in future projects, in the audiovisual productions selected for distribution and in the co-productions we decide to proceed with.                                                                                                                

In addition, the NFB prepared three other PIAs to assess the potential privacy risks and implications associated with specific projects and initiatives. The PIAs involved comprehensive consultations with relevant stakeholders, including project teams, IT teams and our legal advisors. These PIAs will also be submitted for evaluation.

11. PUBLIC INTEREST DISCLOSURES

No personal information was disclosed in compliance with clause 8(2)m) of the Act.

 

APPENDIX A
DELEGATION ORDER
PRIVACY ACT

National Film Board of Canada

Access to Information Act and Privacy Act Delegation Order

The Minister of Canadian Heritage, pursuant to subsection 95 (1) of the Access to Information Act and to subsection 73 (1) of the Privacy Act, hereby designates the persons holding the positions set out below, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers, duties and functions of the Minister as the head of the National Film Board of Canada, under the provisions of the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act and related regulations. This designation replaces all previous delegation orders.

Schedule

Positions Access to Information Act and Regulations Privacy Act and Regulations
Government Film Commissioner Full authority Full authority
Legal Counsel Full authority Full authority
Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator Full authority Full authority

Dated, at the City of Gatineau, this 18 day of April, 2023
The Honourable Pablo Rodriguez
Minister of Canadian Heritage

 

APPENDIX B
2023–2024 STATISTICAL REPORTS
PRIVACY ACT

Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

Name of institution: NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA
Reporting period: 4/1/2023 to 3/31/2024

Section 1: Requests Under the Privacy Act

1.1 Number of requests

  Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 1
Outstanding from previous reporting periods 0
• Outstanding from previous reporting period 0  
• Outstanding from more than one reporting period 0  
Total 1
Closed during reporting period 1
Carried over to next reporting period 0
• Carried over within legislated timeline 0  
• Carried over beyond legislated timeline 0  

1.2 Channels of requests

Mode Number of Requests
Online 1
E-mail 0
Mail 0
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 1

Section 2: Informal Requests

2.1 Number of informal requests

  Number of Requests
Received during reporting period 0
Outstanding from previous reporting periods 0
• Outstanding from previous reporting period 0  
• Outstanding from more than one reporting period 0  
Total 0
Closed during reporting period 0
Carried over to next reporting period 0

2.2 Channels of informal requests

Source Number of Requests
Online 0
E-mail 0
Mail 0
In person 0
Phone 0
Fax 0
Total 0

2.3 Completion time of informal requests

Completion Time
0 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2.4 Pages released informally

Less Than 100 Pages Released 100-500 Pages Released 501-1000 Pages Released 1001-5000 Pages Released More Than 5000 Pages Released
Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released Number of Requests Pages Released
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 3: Requests Closed During the Reporting Period

3.1 Disposition and completion time

Disposition of Requests Completion Time
0 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
No records exist 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1

3.2 Exemptions

Section Number of Requests Section Number of Requests Section Number of Requests
18(2) 0 22(1)(a)(i) 0 23(a) 0
19(1)(a) 0 22(1)(a)(ii) 0 23(b) 0
19(1)(b) 0 22(1)(a)(iii) 0 24(a) 0
19(1)(c) 0 22(1)(b) 0 24(b) 0
19(1)(d) 0 22(1)(c) 0 25 0
19(1)(e) 0 22(2) 0 26 0
19(1)(f) 0 22.1 0 27 0
20 0 22.2 0 27.1 0
21 0 22.3 0 28 0
    22.4 0    

3.3 Exclusions

Section Number of Requests Section Number of Requests Section Number of Requests
69(1)(a) 0 70(1) 0 70(1)(d) 0
69(1)(b) 0 70(1)(a) 0 70(1)(e) 0
69.1 0 70(1)(b) 0 70(1)(f) 0
70(1)(c) 0 70.1 0

3.4 Format of information released

Paper Electronic Other
E-record Data set Video Audio
0 0 0 0 0 0

3.5 Complexity

3.5.1 Relevant pages processed and disclosed for paper, e-record and dataset formats

Number of Pages Processed Number of Pages Disclosed Number of Requests
0 0 1

3.5.2 Relevant pages processed per request disposition for paper, e-record and dataset formats by size of requests

Disposition Less Than 100 Pages Processed 100-500 Pages Processed 501-1000 Pages Processed 1001-5000 Pages Processed More Than 5000 Pages Processed
Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed Number of Requests Pages Processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

3.5.3 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for audio formats

Number of Minutes Processed Number of Minutes Disclosed Number of Requests
0 0 0

3.5.4 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for audio formats by size of requests

Disposition Less Than 60 Minutes Processed 60 - 120 Minutes Processed More than 120 Minutes Processed
Number of Requests Minutes Processed Number of Requests Minutes Processed Number of Requests Minutes Processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0

3.5.5 Relevant minutes processed and disclosed for video formats

Number of Minutes Processed Number of Minutes Disclosed Number of Requests
0 0 0

3.5.6 Relevant minutes processed per request disposition for video formats by size of requests

Disposition Less Than 60 Minutes Processed 60 - 120 Minutes Processed More than 120 Minutes Processed
Number of Requests Minutes Processed Number of Requests Minutes Processed Number of Requests Minutes Processed
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0

3.5.7 Other complexities

Disposition Consultation Required Legal Advice Sought Interwoven Information Other Total
All disclosed 0 0 0 0 0
Disclosed in part 0 0 0 0 0
All exempted 0 0 0 0 0
All excluded 0 0 0 0 0
Request abandoned 0 0 0 0 0
Neither confirmed nor denied 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0

3.6 Closed requests

3.6.1 Requests closed within legislated timelines

Number of requests closed within legislated timelines 1
Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) 100

3.7 Deemed refusals

3.7.1 Reasons for not meeting legislated timelines

Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines Principal Reason
Interference with operations / Workload External Consultation Internal Consultation Other
0 0 0 0 0

3.7.2 Requests closed beyond legislated timelines (including any extension taken)

Number of days past legislated timelines Number of requests past legislated timeline where no extension was taken Number of requests past legislated timeline where an extension was taken Total
1 to 15 days 0 0 0
16 to 30 days 0 0 0
31 to 60 days 0 0 0
61 to 120 days 0 0 0
121 to 180 days 0 0 0
181 to 365 days 0 0 0
More than 365 days 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0

3.8 Requests for translation

Translation Requests Accepted Refused Total
English to French 0 0 0
French to English 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0

Section 4: Disclosures Under Subsections 8(2) and 8(5)

Paragraph 8(2)(e) Paragraph 8(2)(m) Subsection 8(5) Total
0 0 0 0

Section 5: Requests for Correction of Personal Information and Notations

Disposition for Correction Requests Received Number
Notations attached 0
Requests for correction accepted 0
Total 0

Section 6: Extensions

6.1 Reasons for extensions

  15(a)(i) Interference with operations 15 (a)(ii) Consultation 15(b) Translation purposes or conversion
Number of extensions taken Further review required to determine exemptions Large volume of pages Large volume of requests Documents are difficult to obtain Cabinet Confidence Section (Section 70) External Internal
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

6.2 Length of extensions

  15(a)(i) Interference with operations 15(a)(ii) Consultation 15(b) Translation purposes or conversion
Number of extensions taken Further review required to determine exemptions Large volume of pages Large volume of requests Documents are difficult to obtain Cabinet Confidence Section (Section 70) External Internal
1 to 15 days 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 days 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 days or greater - - - - - - - 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

Consultations Other Government of Canada Institutions Number of Pages to Review Other Organizations Number of Pages to Review
Received during the reporting period 0 0 0 0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0
Closed during the reporting period 0 0 0 0
Carried over within negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0

Section 7: Consultations Received From Other Institutions and Organizations

7.1 Consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions and other organizations

Consultations Other Government of Canada Institutions Number of Pages to Review Other Organizations Number of Pages to Review
Received during the reporting period 0 0 0 0
Outstanding from the previous reporting period 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0
Closed during the reporting period 0 0 0 0
Carried over within negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines 0 0 0 0

7.2 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other Government of Canada institutions

Recommendation Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests
0 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
Disclose entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclose in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exempt entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exclude entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

7.3 Recommendations and completion time for consultations received from other organizations outside the Government of Canada

Recommendation Number of Days Required to Complete Consultation Requests
0 to 15 Days 16 to 30 Days 31 to 60 Days 61 to 120 Days 121 to 180 Days 181 to 365 Days More Than 365 Days Total
Disclose entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disclose in part 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exempt entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Exclude entirely 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Consult other institution 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 8: Completion Time of Consultations on Cabinet Confidences

8.1 Requests with Legal Services

Number of Days Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed 100-500 Pages Processed 501-1000 Pages Processed 1001-5000 Pages Processed More than 5000 Pages Processed
Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed
1 to 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 to 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 to 120 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
121 to 180 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
181 to 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More then 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

8.2 Requests with Privy Council Office

Number of Days Fewer Than 100 Pages Processed 100-500 Pages Processed 501-1000 Pages Processed 1001-5000 Pages Processed More than 5000 Pages Processed
Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed Number of Requests Pages Disclosed
1 to 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 to 30 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
31 to 60 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
61 to 120 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
121 to 180 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
181 to 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More then 365 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Section 9: Complaints and Investigations Notices Received

Section 31 Section 33 Section 35 Court action Total
0 0 0 0 0

Section 10: Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) and Personal Information Banks (PIBs)

10.1 Privacy Impact Assessments

Number of PIAs completed 2
Number of PIAs modified 0

10.2 Institution-specific and Central Personal Information Banks

Personal Information Banks Active Created Terminated Modified
Institution-specific 3 0 0 0
Central 0 0 0 0
Total 3 0 0 0

Section 11: Privacy Breaches

11.1 Material Privacy Breaches reported

Number of material privacy breaches reported to TBS 0
Number of material privacy breaches reported to OPC 0

11.2 Non-Material Privacy Breaches

Number of non-material privacy breaches 0

Section 12: Resources Related to the Access to Information Act

12.1 Allocated Costs

Expenditures Amount
Salaries $44,808
Overtime $0
Goods and Services $0
  • Professional services contracts
$0
  • Other
$0
Total $44,808

12.2 Human Resources

Resources Person Years Dedicated to Access to Information Activities
Full-time employees 0.600
Part-time and casual employees 0.000
Regional staff 0.000
Consultants and agency personnel 0.000
Students 0.000
Total 0.600

Note: Enter values to three decimal places.

Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act 

Name of institution: NATIONAL FILM BOARD OF CANADA 

Reporting period: 2023-04-01 to 2024-03-31

Section 1: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Access to Information Act 

1.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Fiscal Year Open Requests Were Received Open Requests that are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 Open Requests that are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 Total
Received in 2023-2024 0 0 0
Received in 2022-2023 0 0 0
Received in 2021-2022 0 0 0
Received in 2020-2021 0 0 0
Received in 2019-2020 0 0 0
Received in 2018-2019 0 0 0
Received in 2017-2018 0 0 0
Received in 2016-2017 0 0 0
Received in 2015-2016 0 0 0
Received in 2014-2015 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0

Row 11, Col. 3 of Section 1.1 must equal Row 7, Col. 1 of Section 1.1 of the 2023-24 Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act

1.2 Enter the number of open complaints with the Information Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution Number of Open Complaints
Received in 2023-2024 0
Received in 2022-2023 0
Received in 2021-2022 0
Received in 2020-2021 0
Received in 2019-2020 0
Received in 2018-2019 0
Received in 2017-2018 0
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 0
Received in 2014-2015 or earlier 0
Total 0

Section 2: Open Requests and Complaints Under the Privacy Act

2.1 Enter the number of open requests that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Fiscal Year Open Requests Were Received Open Requests that are Within Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 Open Requests that are Beyond Legislated Timelines as of March 31, 2024 Total
Received in 2023-2024 0 0 0
Received in 2022-2023 0 0 0
Received in 2021-2022 0 0 0
Received in 2020-2021 0 0 0
Received in 2019-2020 0 0 0
Received in 2018-2019 0 0 0
Received in 2017-2018 0 0 0
Received in 2016-2017 0 0 0
Received in 2015-2016 0 0 0
Received in 2014-2015 or earlier 0 0 0
Total 0 0 0

Row 11, Col. 3 of Section 2.1 must equal Row 7, Col. 1 of Section 1.1 of the 2023-24 Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

2.2 Enter the number of open complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada that are outstanding from previous reporting periods.

Fiscal Year Open Complaints Were Received by Institution Number of Open Complaints
Received in 2023-2024 0
Received in 2022-2023 0
Received in 2021-2022 0
Received in 2020-2021 0
Received in 2019-2020 0
Received in 2018-2019 0
Received in 2017-2018 0
Received in 2016-2017 0
Received in 2015-2016 0
Received in 2014-2015 or earlier 0
Total 0

Section 3: Social Insurance Number

Has your institution begun a new collection or a new consistent use of the SIN in 2023-24? No

Section 4: Universal Access under the Privacy Act

How many requests were received from foreign nationals outside of Canada in 2023-24? 0

Row 1, Col. 1 of Section 4 must be equal to or less than Row 1, Col. 1 of Section 1.1 of the 2023-24 Statistical Report on the Privacy Act

Page details

Date modified: