What is Privacy Officer?

A privacy officer is the person within an organization accountable for its handling of personal information and compliance with privacy law. Under PIPEDA, every organization must designate someone responsible for privacy, and Quebec's Law 25 makes this role explicit, defaulting it to the person with the highest authority unless another individual is formally appointed and published. For a dealership, the privacy officer oversees consent practices, responds to access and correction requests, manages breach reporting, vets technology vendors, and trains staff on safeguarding customer data such as credit applications and identification documents. Even a single rooftop should name a privacy officer and document their responsibilities. As dealerships collect more sensitive data through digital retailing and identity verification, a clearly designated privacy officer is both a legal requirement and a practical safeguard against costly mishandling.