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Privacy at OBSI
The Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments (OBSI) is committed to protecting the privacy rights of its clients. Customers of participating firms with questions or complaints about privacy and the use of personal information may have recourse to the internal complaints system at their financial services firm, OBSI, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada and, in some cases, provincial privacy commissioners.
OBSI Privacy Statement:
OBSI is committed to ensuring that your personal information in our possession remains confidential, secure and accurate. Our Privacy Statement describes our commitment to protect the confidentiality of your personal information.
Why we collect your personal information and what we do with it:
With your consent, we collect personal information from you, your financial services firm, and others as necessary, to facilitate the investigation and resolution of your complaint. The personal information collected will depend on the nature of the complaint. It may include your birth date, home address, telephone number and information about your finances and health. Your complaint, with personal identifiers removed, may be used to compile statistical data or prepare case studies, which may be made public.
Web Site Usage and Cookies
Our Web site is hosted on servers owned and managed by a third party. Any personal information collected on our behalf is managed in accordance with this privacy policy, and is protected by applicable law.
Our site makes use of cookies. Cookies are small text files offered to your computer by Web servers to keep track of your browser as you navigate the site. We use the data generated by cookies to understand – in aggregate – how visitors are using our site, and how we can upgrade our site to improve users’ experience. This includes multiple visits by the same user. Our cookies are not linked or associated with any personal information you may have shared with us through email or other use of our site. You can browse our website if you have disabled cookies on your computer.
Other sites to which we provide links may have different policies and we do not assume responsibility for the information or privacy practices of these other sites.
Our privacy practices and procedures are based on 10 principles:
1. Our accountability to you
OBSI takes its commitment to safeguard your personal information seriously. The Ombudsman is responsible for implementing and overseeing compliance with our privacy policies and practices. Our staff is required to comply with these policies and practices as well.
2. Identifying our purposes for collecting personal information
Before or during the collection of your personal information, we will tell you why we are doing so and explain how we will use it and when it may be disclosed.
3. Giving or withdrawing your consent
We will not collect, use or disclose your personal information without your consent, except where required or permitted by law. You may withdraw your consent at any time, recognizing that further assistance in resolving your complaint may not be possible.
4. Limiting our collection of personal information
We will collect personal information only to the extent necessary for our identified purposes, and only if it is reasonable and appropriate in the circumstances.
5. Limiting our use, disclosure and retention of personal information
OBSI will only use or disclose your personal information for the identified purposes for which it was collected, except where required or permitted by law. We will destroy your personal information in our possession when it is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and it is no longer legally necessary for us to have the information to respond to issues that may arise later.
6. Keeping your personal information accurate
It is in your best interest that the personal information we hold about you is accurate, complete and up to date. If you believe that your information may be inaccurate, we will make it easy for you to access, verify and update. Please contact us by telephone or in writing using the information below.
7. Safeguarding your information
We take steps to protect your personal information against theft, misuse and unauthorized modification and have implemented policies regarding retention and destruction of your information.
8. Making our privacy policy information available to you
Our privacy policies and procedures are available to you, upon request.
9. Providing you with access to your personal information
You have the right to request access to your personal information that you have provided to us and is in our possession. You should contact your financial services firm directly to access your personal information provided to us by that firm in the course of our dispute resolution process. Please note that we will not give you access to information generated in the course of our dispute resolution process.
10. Handling your questions or complaints
If you have questions or complaints about this privacy statement, please
call our toll-free number 1-888-451-4519. If your question or complaint is not resolved, please write to the Ombudsman at:
Ombudsman for Banking Services and Investments
PO Box 896, Station Adelaide
Toronto, Ontario M5C 2K3
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