Guide to Canada (PIPEDA - Federal) Cookie Consent Compliance

Complete technical implementation guide for Canada (excluding Quebec) privacy regulations. Learn about consent requirements, banner elements, record keeping, and technical specifications.

Opt-in Translation Required Children's Privacy Rules Cookie Walls Restricted

Summary

This guide provides comprehensive technical implementation requirements for Canada (PIPEDA - Federal). Opt-in consent required for non-obvious purposes like third-party behavioral advertising.

This jurisdiction requires an opt-in consent model (prior consent), meaning websites must obtain explicit user consent before placing non-essential cookies or similar tracking technologies. Users must actively accept cookies through clear consent mechanisms.

Additional requirements for this jurisdiction include: providing consent banners and privacy information in all required languages, and special protections and consent mechanisms for children's personal data.

Website owners and operators subject to these regulations must implement compliant cookie consent banners, maintain proper consent records, and ensure their tracking technologies respect user privacy choices. This guide outlines all technical requirements needed to achieve compliance.

Key Requirements Overview

Consent Model

Opt-in (Prior Consent)

Consent Lifespan

12 months

Default State

Off (Non-Essential Cookies)

Cookie Walls

Restricted

Technical Requirements

Prior consent for non-essential cookies

Purpose granularity required

Equal prominence for accept/reject buttons

No pre-checked boxes allowed

Dark patterns prohibited

Proof of consent required

Local storage covered by regulation

Implementation Guidance

Implied consent may be acceptable for reasonable uses (essential, limited first-party analytics), but tracking for targeted advertising requires express opt-in consent.

Special Protections

Children's Privacy

Enhanced consent mechanisms for minors.

Sensitive Data

Explicit consent required for sensitive personal information.

Record Keeping Requirements

Required Consent Record Fields

For each consent action, you must maintain records containing:

Timestamp ISO
User Choices By Purpose
Policy Version

Retention Period: 18 months minimum

Re-consent Trigger: Material Change Or New Purpose

CookieChimp handles all of this automatically. Our platform maintains comprehensive consent records including all required fields, timestamps, consent strings, IP addresses, user agents, and more. Records are securely stored and easily exportable for compliance audits. Learn more about our consent management

Legal References & Resources

Official legal documents and regulatory guidance for this jurisdiction:

Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)

https://www.priv.gc.ca/en/privacy-topics/privacy-laws-in-canada/the-personal-information-protection-and-electronic-documents-act-pipeda/

Legal Disclaimer: For engineering implementation guidance only. Not legal advice. This guide provides technical implementation guidance only and should not be considered legal advice. Privacy laws are complex and frequently updated. We recommend consulting with qualified legal counsel to ensure full compliance with applicable regulations.