Ready to host the world: Joint statement by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia on ensuring both Privacy and security during the FIFA World Cup

TORONTO, May 4, 2026 /CNW/ - The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario and the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia have similar mandates to protect and promote the privacy and information rights of people in our respective jurisdictions.

The upcoming FIFA World Cup events will bring fans, players, and officials from around the world to Vancouver and Toronto during the summer of 2026.

Patricia Kosseim, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, and Michael Harvey, Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia, at the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) Canada Symposium in Toronto on May 4, 2026. (CNW Group/Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario)

Everyone living in these host cities, or visiting to attend the games, deserves a fun, safe, and privacy-protective sporting event.

Our city governments, police services, and other agencies are making necessary efforts to ensure the safety and security of athletes, fans, visitors, and residents going about their daily lives during the events. These efforts must include rigorous consideration of people's privacy and information rights. This is particularly important when purchasing and using surveillance technologies meant to keep people safe.

Our two offices call on responsible municipalities, police services, and other agencies involved in planning and holding events associated with the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2026 to respect the following principles when purchasing and deploying surveillance technologies:

• All practices and technologies implemented during the games are expected to be legally authorized, necessary, and proportionate to the objective of ensuring a secure sporting event and should not be used for unrelated purposes.
  
  
• The use of surveillance technologies must be transparent to the people who will be subject to them. Notices must be displayed in a clear and apparent manner for people to understand the implications of participating in the events and/or visiting the surrounding areas.
  
  
• Games-related surveillance installations must be time limited. Unfortunately, past mega-events, including in Canada, have resulted in surveillance deployments remaining in place permanently, long after the games are over and the heightened security requirements that justified them have passed. A similar legacy must not be left behind by the FIFA events in either Toronto or Vancouver.
  
  
• Video footage taken during the events must not be retained longer than necessary to ensure the safety and security of people during the games. Once the purpose has been successfully achieved, video footage should be securely destroyed and not kept or shared with others for unrelated purposes, including the improvement of artificial intelligence technologies or the expansion of facial recognition databases.
• All contracts with third party technology companies must address accountability for privacy and access to information and the maintenance of effective control over records and personal information.
  
  
• Municipalities, police services, and other agencies involved in preparing for and holding the FIFA World Cup must have clearly delineated roles and responsibilities from the early stages of planning to the closing out of the games. This is to ensure seamless governance and accountability for the collection, use, retention and secure disposal of personal information, including when in the hands of third-party contractors.

The FIFA World Cup places Ontario and B.C. in a global spotlight. This presents a unique opportunity to showcase to the world Canada's capacity to host a safe and secure world-class event in two of its great cities. We are pleased that the municipal governments and police in our respective jurisdictions have consulted with us on their preparations. We remind them of their related responsibility to protect privacy and information rights throughout the games, both during and after, and of their shared commitment to uphold the very democratic principles and values that define us as Canadians.

Patricia Kosseim
Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

Michael Harvey
Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia

SOURCE Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner/Ontario

Media Contact: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, [email protected], Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for B.C., Michelle Mitchell, Director of Communications, [phone], [email protected]