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    Privacy notice

    The Government of Canada (GC) and The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) are committed to providing visitors with Web sites that respect their privacy. This Privacy Notice summarizes the privacy policy and practices for OSFI online activities.

    All personal information collected by this institution is governed by the Privacy Act. This means that you will be informed of the purpose for which your personal information is being collected and how to exercise your right of access to that information.

    Your Privacy and the Internet

    The nature of the Internet is such that Web servers automatically collect certain information about a visit to a website, including the visitor’s Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISP) to all devices used to access the Internet. Web servers automatically log the IP addresses of visitors to their sites. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances, such as with the co-operation of an ISP for example, it could be used to identify an individual using the site. For this reason, the Government of Canada considers the IP address to be personal information, particularly when combined with other data automatically collected when visitor requests a Web page such as the page or pages visited, date and time of the visit.

    Unless otherwise noted, OSFI does not automatically gather any specific information from you, such as your name, telephone number or email address. OSFI would obtain this type of information only if you supply it to us, for example, by email or by filling in a contact form. In such cases, how your personal information is handled will be provided in a Personal Information Collection Statement.

    In cases where services are provided by organizations outside of the Government of Canada, such as social media platforms or mobile applications, IP addresses may be recorded by the Web server of the third-party service provider.

    Communicating with the Government of Canada

    If you choose to send OSFI an email or complete a feedback form online, your personal information is used by OSFI in order to respond to your inquiry. The information you provide will only be shared with another government institution if your inquiry relates to that institution. OSFI does not use the information to create individual profiles nor does it disclose the information to anyone other than to those in the federal government who need to provide you with a response. Any disclosure of your personal information is in accordance with the Privacy Act.

    Emails and other electronic methods used to communicate with the Government of Canada are not secure unless it is specifically stated on a Web page. Therefore, it is recommended that you do not send sensitive personal information, such as your Social Insurance Number or your date of birth, through non-secure electronic means.

    Personal information from emails or completed feedback forms is collected pursuant to the Privacy Act. Such information may be used for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes and is included in Personal Information Bank Public Communications (PSU 914).

    Third-party social media

    OSFI’s use of social media serves as an extension of its presence on the Web. Social media account(s) are public and are not hosted on Government of Canada servers. Users who choose to interact with us via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and those of any applications you use to access them. OSFI uses:

    Personal information that you provide to the Government of Canada via social media account(s) is collected under the authority of the Financial Administration Act. This information is collected to capture conversations (e.g. questions and answers, comments, “likes”, retweets) between you and OSFI. It may be used to respond to inquiries, or for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes. Comments posted that violate Canadian law will be deleted and disclosed to law enforcement authorities. Comments that violate our rules of engagement will also be deleted. The personal information is included in Personal Information Bank Outreach Activities (PSU 938).

    OSFI Cloud / Use of internal / external portal

    • As part of the Cloud Initiative, the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) implemented the Microsoft Cloud (Azure) and services. The services include the use of collaboration spaces such as portals (Crisis Management, Supervisory Colleges, Audit Committee, etc.) to share information and facilitate communications. The purpose of the MS Cloud at OSFI, in this case, the purpose of portals, is to take advantage of tools and systems that work together to support operations, especially in the work with partners and stakeholder.
    • The OSFI mandate is to regulate and supervises more than 400 Federally Regulated Financial Institutions, and 1,200 pension plans to determine whether they are in sound financial condition and meetings their requirements. To meet this mandate, OSFI is required to work within virtual and collaboration workspaces with the FRFIs and pension plan owners. This facilitated collaboration may include, but not limited to, Other Government Departments / Agencies (OGD/A), FRFIs, other federal, provincial regulators, FRFIs, Pension Plan owners, and the FISC partners (Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation, Bank of Canada, Department of Finance, Financial Consumer Agency of Canada, including OSFI). This may include other partners and stakeholders, such as law enforcement, international regulators, etc.
    • In response to an incident, non-conformity or emergency where intervention is immediate, for example, OSFI is required to work in collaboration with the FRFI and/or pension plan owners, sometimes without notice, to share sensitive information, communicate within a secure portal. This may include information, electronic document, sharing of, and communications about people such as the FRFI or pension plan owner clients or groups, FRFI C-Suite members or pension plan owners and their clients or groups. Participation is mandatory and failure to participant may cause delays in the response to mitigate immediate threats or risks to Canada’s economy and financial system.
    • Whereas personal information is identified, following the implementation of OSFI mandate, OSFI has the authority to collect your personal information under the various legislative authorities such as the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Act, Bank Act, Trust and Loan Companies Act, Cooperative Credit Associations Act, Insurance Companies Act, Pension Benefits Standards Act and all related regulations. The authority to collect, use, disclose and retain personal information under these operational circumstances are further described in OSFI Info Source Institutional Functions, Programs, Activities, Personal Information Banks (PIB) and Class of Records.
    • During these processes, personal information may be shared and / or collected. If personal information is required, the use of the personal information will be limited for the purpose for which it was authorized and to meet the operational requirements. Unless otherwise, the personal information will be de-identified, encrypted and secured at all times through the use of the MS Cloud features. More details are available in Microsoft’s Privacy Statement. The disclosure of personal information will also be limited to meet the operational requirements, and where and when applicable, share de-identified personal information through anonymization, aggregated data, or other means to protected the personal information at all times.
    • By consenting to the use of the MS Cloud, portals, your personal information will only be collected and used as necessary to issue and manage your email account. OSFI will also use your information for operational and security purposes and for updating directories, in order to access the portal(s). If required, under limited circumstances, in keeping with the subsection 8(2) Privacy Act, OSFI may also disclose your personal information without your consent in the event of a lawful investigation to investigative bodies for criminal investigations and policy violations. In addition, network logs and cloud monitoring information will be disclosed to the Communications Security Establishment (CSE) for security purposes. The purpose of this section is to inform you about the types of personal information (cookies, log files, personal financial information, names, email addresses, etc.) and how we use and disclose that information. You have the right to the protection of, access to and correction of your personal information which is described in Personal Information Banks (PIBs): GC Your Email Service Personal Information Bank, SSC PCU 608; Internal Credential Management Services Personal Information Bank, SSC PCU 606; Directory Services, PIB SSC PCU 707; Disclosure to Investigative Bodies, PRN 937; Disclosure to Investigative Bodies, Standard PIB PSU 913; Electronic Network Monitoring Logs, Standard, PIB PSU 905; Cyber Defense, CSE PPU 007; and Security Incidents and Privacy Breaches, Standard PIB PSU 939; Cyber and IT Security Program Management Class of Records, SCC SS 603; Cyber Security Strategic Planning Class of Record, SSC SS 600.
    • The personal information will be retained and disposed of in accordance with the Privacy Act, Privacy Act Regulations, OSFI’s Records Retention Schedule, OSFI’s Records Retention Schedule – Supplement and the Library and Archives, Multi-Institutional Disposition Authority (MIDA).
    • Under the Privacy Act, you have the right to access your personal information and request correction to your information. Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding OSFI’s handling of your personal information may be directed to directed to OSFI’s Privacy Office by emailing priv@osfi-bsif.gc.ca. Any access to personal information requests can be emailed to the ATIP division at atip-aiprp@osfi-bsif.gc.ca.
    • You have the right to file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada about the handling of your personal information.
    • Occasionally we may revise this privacy statement. The privacy statement is current as of the “last revised” date.
    • By clicking on the button below / or by proceeding, you consent and acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Notice Statement.

    Improving your experience on Government of Canada websites

    Digital markers (including cookies)

    A digital marker is a resource created by the visitors’ browser in order to remember certain pieces of information for the Web server to reference during the same or subsequent visit to the website. Examples of digital markers are “cookies” or HTML5 web storage. Some examples of what digital markers do are as follows:

    • they allow a website to recognize a previous visit each time the visitor accesses the site;
    • they track what information is viewed on a site which helps website administrators ensure visitors find what they are looking for.

    OSFI uses sessional digital markers on some portions of its website. During your on-line visit, your browser exchanges data with OSFI’s Web server. The digital markers used do not allow OSFI to identify individuals.

    You may adjust your browser settings to reject digital markers, including cookies, if you so choose. However, it may affect your ability to interact with OSFI’s website.

    Web analytics

    Web analytics is the collection, analysis, measurement, and reporting of data about Web traffic and visits for purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage. Information in digital markers may be used for the purpose of web analytics to remember your online interactions with OSFI’s website.

    OSFI uses WebLog Expert Enterprise and SharePoint Web Analytics to improve its web site. When your computer requests an OSFI Web page, our institution collects the following types of information for Web analytics:

    • the originating IP address
    • the date and time of the request
    • the type of browser used
    • the page(s) visited

    OSFI retains information collected by WebLog Expert Enterprise and SharePoint Web Analytics for a maximum period of 18 months. After this period, the information must be disposed of in accordance with the Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics and as authorized by the Librarian and Archivist of Canada. The information is not disclosed to an external third-party service provider.

    Information used for the purpose of Web analytics is collected pursuant to the Financial Administration Act. Such data may be used for communications and information technology statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting. For more information on how your privacy is safeguarded in relation to web analytics, see the Standard on Privacy and Web Analytics.

    Protecting the security of Government of Canada websites

    OSFI employs software programs to monitor network traffic to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise cause damage. This software receives and records the IP address of the computer that has contacted our website, the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. We make no attempt to link these addresses with the identity of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.

    This information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. The information may be shared with appropriate law enforcement authorities if suspected criminal activities are detected. Such information may be used for network security related statistical purposes, audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting and is included in Personal Information Bank Security Incidents and Privacy Breaches (PSU 939).

    Inquiring about these practices

    Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding the administration of the Privacy Act and privacy policies regarding OSFI’s Web presence may be directed to our Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator by:
    E-mail: atip-aiprp@osfi-bsif.gc.ca
    Telephone: 613-990-7495
    Mail: Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada
    255 Albert Street, 12th Floor
    Ottawa, Canada
    K1A 0H2

    If you are not satisfied with OSFI’s response to your privacy concern, you may wish to contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner by telephone at 1-800-282-1376.

    Official notices for Government of Canada departments

    Using files located on non-Government of Canada servers

    To improve the functionality of Government of Canada websites, certain files (such as open-source libraries, images and scripts) may be delivered automatically to your browser via a trusted third-party server or content delivery network. The delivery of these files is intended to provide a seamless user experience by speeding response times and avoiding the need for each visitor to download these files. Where applicable, specific privacy statements covering these files are included in our Privacy Notice.

    Providing content in Canada's official languages

    The Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations and Treasury Board policy requirements establish when we use both English and French to provide services to or communicate with members of the public. When there is no obligation to provide information in both official languages, content may be available in one official language only. Information provided by organizations not subject to the Official Languages Act is in the language(s) provided. Information provided in a language other than English or French is only for the convenience of our visitors.

    Linking to non-Government of Canada websites

    Links to websites not under the control of the Government of Canada, including those to our social media accounts, are provided solely for the convenience of our website visitors. We are not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content of such websites. The Government of Canada does not offer any guarantee in that regard and is not responsible for the information found through these links, nor does it endorse the sites and their content.

    Visitors should also be aware that information offered by non-Government of Canada sites to which this website links is not subject to the Privacy Act or the Official Languages Act and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. The information offered may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question. With respect to privacy, visitors should research the privacy policies of these non-government websites before providing personal information.

    Ownership and usage of content provided on this site

    Materials on this website were produced and/or compiled by OSFI for the purpose of providing Canadians with access to information about the programs and services offered by the Government of Canada. You may use and reproduce the materials as follows:

    Non-commercial reproduction

    Unless otherwise specified you may reproduce the materials in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes, and in any format, without charge or further permission, provided you do the following:

    • Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the materials reproduced;
    • Indicate both the complete title of the materials reproduced, as well as the author (where available); and
    • Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of the version available at [URL where original document is available].

    Commercial reproduction

    Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce materials on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from the copyright administrator. To obtain permission to reproduce Government of Canada materials on this site for commercial purposes, contact:

    Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada
    255 Albert Street, 12th Floor
    Ottawa, Canada
    K1A 0H2
    information@osfi-bsif.gc.ca

    Some of the content on this site may be subject to the copyright of another party. This is particularly true of sites that are jointly operated by a Government of Canada institution and an external organization as part of a collaborative arrangement. In such cases, some restrictions on the reproduction of materials or graphical elements may apply, and it may be necessary to seek permission from the rights holder prior to reproducing the material. Where information has been produced or copyright is not held by Government of Canada, the materials are protected under the Copyright Act, and international agreements. Details concerning copyright ownership are indicated on the relevant page(s).

    Trademark notice

    The official symbols of the Government of Canada, including the Canada Wordmark, the Arms of Canada, and the flag symbol may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without prior written authorization.

    Our commitment to accessibility

    The Government of Canada is committed to achieving a high standard of accessibility as defined in the Standard on Web Accessibility and the Standard on Optimizing Websites and Applications for Mobile Devices. In the event of difficulty using our Web pages, applications or device-based mobile applications, please contact us for assistance or to obtain alternative formats such as regular print, Braille or another appropriate format.

    Interacting with us on social media

    This notice has been written to explain how OSFI interacts with the public on social media platforms.

    Content and frequency

    We use our social media accounts as an alternative method of sharing the content posted on our website and interacting with our stakeholders. By following our social media accounts (by “following,” “liking” or “subscribing”), you can expect to see information about the programs and services we provide. We understand that the Web is a 24/7 medium, and your comments are welcome at any time. You should expect to see new content posted Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm EST/EDT. Comments submitted after hours or on weekends will be read and responded to as soon as possible.

    Because the servers of social media platforms are managed by a third party, our social media accounts are subject to downtime that may be out of our control. As such, we accept no responsibility for platforms becoming unresponsive or unavailable.

    Links to other websites and ads

    Our social media accounts may post or display links or ads for websites that are not under our control. These links are provided solely for the convenience of users. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the information found through these links or ads, nor does it endorse the sites or their content.

    Following, “favouriting” and subscribing

    Our decision to “follow,” “favourite” or “subscribe” to another social media account does not imply an endorsement of that account, channel, page or site, and neither does sharing (re-tweeting, reposting or linking to) content from another user.

    Comments and interaction

    We will read comments and participate in discussions when appropriate. We ask that your comments be relevant and respectful. We reserve the right to delete comments that violate this notice, and the user may be blocked and reported to prevent further inappropriate comments.

    We cannot engage in issues of party politics or answer questions that break the rules of this notice.

    We reserve the right to edit or remove comments that:

    • Contain personal information;
    • Are contrary to the principles of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
    • Express racist, hateful, sexist, homophobic, slanderous, insulting or life-threatening messages;
    • Put forward serious, unproven or inaccurate accusations against individuals or organizations;
    • Are aggressive, coarse, violent, obscene or pornographic;
    • Are offensive, rude or abusive to an individual or an organization;
    • Are not sent by the author or are put forward for advertising purposes;
    • Encourage illegal activity;
    • Contain announcements from labour or political organizations;
    • Are written in a language other than English or French;
    • Are unintelligible or irrelevant;
    • Are repetitive or spam; and
    • Do not, in our opinion, add to the normal flow of the discussion.

    In short, please be respectful and make sure that your comments are relevant to where they are posted. The views of users commenting on our social media accounts do not necessarily represent the views of OSFI or the Government of Canada.

    Accessibility of social media platforms

    Social media platforms are third-party service providers and are not bound by Government of Canada standards for Web accessibility.

    If you have difficulty accessing content on our social media accounts, please contact us and we will try to solve the problem or provide you with the information in a different format.

    Copyright

    Information that we post is subject to the Copyright Act.

    Privacy

    Our social media accounts are not Government of Canada websites and represent only our presence on third-party service providers.

    For more information, please refer to our Privacy Notice regarding third-party social media.

    Official Languages

    Many social media platforms have multiple language options and provide instructions on how to set your preferences. The Government of Canada respects the Official Languages Act and is committed to ensuring that our information is available in both French and English and that both versions are equal quality.

    We reply to comments in the official language in which they are posted. If we think the response is a question of general public interest, we may respond in both official languages.

    We may share links that direct users to sites of organizations or other entities that are not subject to the Official Languages Act and available only in the language(s) in which they are written. When content is available in only one language, we make an effort to provide similar content in the other official language.

    Questions and media requests

    Reporters are asked to send questions to media-medias@osfi-bsif.gc.ca.

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