State · Canada · Americas

AI regulation in Quebec (Canada)

Source-linked · checked 11 Sep 2026 1 instrument · 1 binding

Overview

Quebec's Law 25 (Act to modernize legislative provisions as regards the protection of personal information, 2021) introduced Canada's first statutory rules on automated decision-making: from September 2023 organisations must inform individuals when a decision is based exclusively on automated processing, on request explain the personal information and principal factors used and allow observations, and must conduct privacy impact assessments and give notice of biometric identification systems. The Commission d'accès à l'information enforces it with GDPR-scale penalties.

What is the current regulatory status?

Law 25 automated-decision and biometric provisions in force since September 2023.

Binding rules versus guidance

Binding: Quebec Law 25 (automated decisions and biometrics). Strategy or guidance: none recorded.

Key policy instruments

Quebec (Canada) Act / statute In force Binding

Quebec Law 25 (automated decisions and biometrics)

Quebec Law 25 (S.Q. 2021, c. 25): provisions on decisions based exclusively on automated processing and biometric systems

Section 12.1 of the private-sector privacy act (as amended by Law 25, in force 22 September 2023) requires any enterprise that uses personal information to render a decision based exclusively on automated processing to inform the person no later than when the decision is made, and, on request, to tell them what personal information was used, the reasons and principal factors and parameters, and their right to have the information corrected, and to give them an opportunity to submit observations to a person who can review the decision. Biometric identification databases must be declared to the Commission d'accès à l'information 60 days before use, and privacy impact assessments are mandatory for projects involving personal information. Penalties reach CAD 25 million or 4% of worldwide turnover.

Applies from 22 Sep 2023 Source-linked · checked 11 Sep 2026 Official source

Upcoming deadlines

No scheduled future dates recorded. Past milestones are listed on each policy page.

Latest changes

Applicable sectors, use cases and obligation areas

Obligation areas

How to use this information

  1. Open the official source on each instrument before relying on any date or obligation.
  2. Treat strategies and guidance as signals of coming regulation, not as binding requirements.
  3. Check data-protection, consumer, employment and sector law that applies to AI systems regardless of AI-specific instruments.

Official government and regulator sources

  1. Act to modernize legislative provisions as regards the protection of personal information (S.Q. 2021, c. 25)
    Publications Québec / Assemblée nationale du Québec · 2021-09-22 · Tier 1 source

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Informational only, not legal advice. Verify every claim against the linked official sources and consult qualified counsel before acting.