Privacy officer
Also known as: data protection officer · DPO · person responsible for the protection of personal information
The privacy officer is the person designated within an organization to oversee compliance with personal information rules and act as the contact point for individuals and the regulator.
In Quebec the role falls by default to the person with the highest authority in the organization, who may delegate it in writing. Doing nothing is therefore not neutral: it is an implicit choice that leaves responsibility at the top.
The role does not require a full-time position in a small company, but it does require being named, reachable and published — the title and contact details must appear on the website.
Under the GDPR, appointing a data protection officer is mandatory only in certain cases, but appointing one voluntarily then carries the same independence duties.
What it means for a small business
It is the cheapest measure in all of compliance: name someone, put their title on the privacy page, and make sure the contact address reaches a real inbox.
Related terms
So what actually applies to you?
A definition tells you what a term means, not what your organization must do. The assessment answers the second question — free, no credit card.
Updated September 1, 2026 · Educational definition; not legal advice.