Who can make decisions about my personal information?

Where the CYFSA requires consent to collect, use, or disclose your personal information, you can generally make those decisions about your own personal information. The law presumes that you are capable of making such decisions at any age, unless your service provider has reasonable grounds to believe that you are not capable of doing so. Learn more about how your service provider decides if you are capable of making decisions about your personal information.

If you are under the age of 16 and/or if your service provider determines you are incapable of consenting on your own behalf, the CYFSA identifies who can act as your substitute decision-maker. The CYFSA also sets out the things that your substitute decision-maker must consider when making decisions for you.

With some specific exceptions relating to your health care treatment and some counselling decisions, your substitute decision-maker can consent to the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information for you. They can also make requests, including access and correction requests, on your behalf. Learn more about who can act as your substitute decision-maker.

If you are 16 years of age or older, you can tell your service provider in writing that you want a different person over 16 to make decisions about the collection, use, or disclosure of your personal information on your behalf.