THE 360 NEWSLETTER
At Investia, as well as at all iA Financial Group (iAFG) affiliates, the protection of personal information is one of our highest priorities. In today’s digital world, sensitive information can be easily collected, giving rise to a growing concern among investors, who expect their personal information to be treated with the utmost confidentiality.
To enhance the protection of personal information held by companies, and as mentioned during last week’s Best Business Practices Roadshows, new privacy rules will come into force in Quebec in September 2023 (Bill 25). Quebec is the first Canadian jurisdiction to reform its privacy laws, particularly in terms of penalties, but other jurisdictions are set to follow suit. At the federal level, the government has already introduced a new draft privacy legislation (Bill C-27).
iAFG Privacy Now
As you know, Investia’s NCAFs/KYC Update Form already include a privacy consent for generic purposes including disclosure between iAFG affiliates. Earlier this year, our parent company, iA Financial Group, launched a nationwide program, i.e., Privacy Now, to ensure greater transparency, as well as a better control and the enhanced protection of personal information. In the context of the program, an awareness campaign is being launched.
What does this mean for your clients?
As part of its awareness campaign, iAFG will be sending all its clients (including those of Investia) an email (where there is a valid address on file) or a paper letter, to inform them that we may collect, use and disclose their personal information.
As required by law, clients will be reminded that they can at any time withdraw their consent, and a simple way to do so will be provided to them: through an online portal or by calling a dedicated call centre (the contact information will be included in the communication), in both cases using the identification code also included in the communication. No action is required on the part of your clients. The goal is simply to inform clients and provide them with the option to withdraw their consent, if they wish to do so.
The same communication will be sent to all iAFG clients. For Investia clients, the communication will display the Investia logo. In theory, clients should receive only one version of the communication, whether or not they also do business with another iAFG affiliate (e.g., for their home/auto insurance needs). However, despite iAFG’s best efforts to avoid duplication, some clients may receive more than one communication, one of which could bear the iAFG logo.
The emails and letters will be sent to all the clients over the course of the summer. Click on the following links to read the email version. Note that the content of the paper version will be identical to that of the email:
Client letter – Email version in English | Client letter – Email version in French *
* This example is for your information only. Please do not share this email with your clients as it will be sent to them by iA Financial Group at a later date.
FAQ
Should you require additional information, we invite you to click on the following link to read a FAQ prepared by iAFG: iAFG Privacy Now – Frequently Asked Questions
Additional information
- Privacy and security – Client page – iA Financial Group
- Quebec privacy Law Reform: A Compliance Guide for Organizations – BLG
- New Privacy Obligations for Businesses – Commission d’accès à l’information du Québec
- Summary of privacy laws in Canada – Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada
- Data Protection – Cybereco
We hope you will find this information useful. Should you have any questions or require additional information, please contact our Client Services Department, by email at investia@investia.ca or by phone at 1-888-684-5548.