Canada
CyberLaw Ecosystem
Overview
Canada has a mature cyber law ecosystem comprising:
- The Protecting Canadians from Online Crime Act, which amends the Criminal Code, the Canada Evidence Act, the Competition Act and the Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act.
- The Criminal Code which contains provisions relating to unauthorized use of a computer, password misuse; possession of device to obtain computer service; credit card related crimes, voyeurism; luring a child by means of a computer system; child pornography; order of prohibition from using computer system; and warrant of seizure.
- The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act which protects personal information that is collected, used or disclosed in certain circumstances, and amends the Canada Evidence Act, the Statutory Instruments Act and the Statute Revision Act.
- The Canada Evidence Act which covers authentication of electronic documents, the application of best evidence rule to electronic documents, presumption of integrity and presumptions regarding secure electronic signatures.
- The Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Act which provides for the implementation of treaties for mutual legal assistance in criminal matters and amends the Criminal Code, the Crown Liability Act and the Immigration Act.
- The Privacy Act, which extends the present laws of Canada, that protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by a government institution and provides individuals with a right of access to that information.
- An Act to promote the efficiency and adaptability of the Canadian economy by regulating certain activities that discourage reliance on electronic means of carrying out commercial activities which prohibits unsolicited electronic messages.
- Electronic Commerce Protection Regulations, which excludes certain commercial electronic messages from being considered as unsolicited electronic messages.
