Humber/Ontario Real Estate Course 1 Exam Practice

The Personal Information Protection and Electronic Document Act (PIPEDA) defines personal information as:

1. Information such as name, identification numbers, and age, excluding income

2. Business-related information about an employee

3. Any information that can identify an individual

4. Publicly available contact details

5. Information used solely for marketing purposes

6. Anonymous aggregated data

The correct answer is: Any information that can identify an individual

The correct answer is that personal information is defined as any information that can identify an individual. PIPEDA emphasizes the protection of personal information that relates to identifiable individuals. This can include various types of data, such as names, addresses, and any details that could be linked to an individual, thereby allowing their identification. In contrast, other options involve data that does not meet the threshold of personal identification or pertain specifically to the context of PIPEDA's definition. For example, business-related employee information may not always constitute personal information if it is not linked to individual identification. Publicly available contact details can also be excluded from personal information under PIPEDA if they do not allow for the identification of an individual. Information used solely for marketing purposes would not fall under the same protective measures if it does not directly identify an individual. Similarly, anonymous aggregated data is not considered personal information because it cannot be used to identify a specific person. Thus, the essence of PIPEDA's definition is broad enough to include a wide range of identifiers, making the understanding of "any information that can identify an individual" critical to compliance and awareness in handling personal data.