Canada: Office of the Privacy Commissioner opened consultation on Children's Privacy Code including age verification requirements

On 12 May 2025, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (OPC) opened a consultation, set to close on 5 August 2025, to support the development of a children's privacy code under the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). An element of the consultation is the potential inclusion of age assurance mechanisms, which would support organisations in determining whether children are accessing their products or services. This would enable organisations to apply age-appropriate privacy measures, adjust user interfaces for younger individuals, and obtain parental or guardian consent where applicable. The OPC is seeking input on how such mechanisms can be implemented in a privacy-sensitive manner, balancing the need for reliable age estimation with limiting data collection and processing.