Hydro-Québec’s privacy protection program

Download program (Governance rules) [PDF 358 kB]

Your Privacy

Why do we have a Privacy Policy?

We require your personal information to carry out some of our business processes within the scope out of our mission. Because your satisfaction in the way we protect your personal information is important to us, we have adopted this Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) to describe how we protect your personal information.

Personal information is information concerning a natural person that allows this person to be identified.

The Policy is one of the cornerstones of our privacy protection program. The objective of the program is to ensure that Hydro-Québec meets its legal obligations under the Act respecting Access to documents held by public bodies and the Protection of personal information (the “Access Act”). The Policy sets out Hydro-Québec’s commitments concerning the protection of your privacy and aims to establish and maintain your confidence in our privacy practices.

In the interests of transparency, we are providing you with this Policy.

Learn more about the Privacy Policy

Download the Policy [PDF 216 kB]

Collecting information

What types of personal information do we collect and why?

We collect and use your personal information so we can carry out our mission, and more specifically to:

  • Communicate with you.
  • Process your application for employment opportunities we have posted.
  • Supply Hydro-Québec’s services.
  • Manage our various programs, including energy-efficiency programs.
  • Maintain the security and reliability of the power grid and accurately forecast energy demand for Québec.
  • Ensure the effectiveness and quality of our business processes on a permanent basis.
  • Understand and improve, on an ongoing basis, your experience as a customer or job applicant.
  • Offer useful information and content, as well as promote our services and programs.
  • Meet our legal and regulatory obligations.
  • Take the necessary measures during emergencies where your life, health or safety, or those of your loved ones, is in danger.
  • Detect or prevent crimes and offences against our infrastructures including to prevent electricity theft.

We collect the personal information necessary for a specific purpose.

When we collect your personal information, we inform you about how it will be used. For example, we invite you to consult our Terms of use and confidentiality to learn more about the type of personal information we collect when you navigate our website and how we use this information.

Learn more about how we collect information

Using information

How do we use your personal information?

We use your personal information for the purposes we have disclosed. Occasionally, we might wish to use your personal information for other purposes. In this case we will ask for your consent in advance.

Please note that there are certain situations where we are authorized by law to use your personal information without your consent.

Example: We are permitted to use information regarding your electricity consumption to determine whether you are eligible for a new energy efficiency program that would save you money. We are authorized to do so because it is clearly to your advantage.

Learn more about we use information

Communicating information

Do we communicate your personal information?

We share your personal information with third parties when you request it or consent to it.

In certain instances permitted by law, we may share your personal information with third parties without your consent.

Learn more about how we communicate information

Consent

When and how do we ask for your consent concerning your personal information?

We ask for your written or verbal consent in situations in which the law requires us to do so. For instance:

  • When we wish to collect personal information that you are not required to provide, for example, if we wish to use such information to show you advertising that matches your profile;
  • When we share your personal information with a third party that requests it; and
  • When we wish to use your personal information for purposes other than those previously indicated and you are not under any obligation to authorize this secondary use.

If you do not consent, we will explain the possible consequences of your refusal.

If you do consent, we will indicate the process for withdrawing your consent if you change your mind, and we will explain the implications of such a decision.

Lastly, to ensure that your consent is fully enlightened, we will provide you the information you need to make an informed decision in advance, and will do so in a transparent, clear and concise manner.

Security

What security measures have we implemented to protect your personal information?

Because your trust is vital to us, we implement generally recognized security standards to protect your personal information for the entire period your information is in our possession.

When deciding which measures to apply, we consider a number of factors, including the sensitivity of the information in question and the context in which it will be used.

Our security measures fall into three main categories:

  1. Technological security measures
    Examples: firewall, management of access privileges, encryption of information, logging of actions of Hydro-Québec team members concerning your personal information.
  2. Physical security measures
    Examples: locked filing cabinets and restricted access to premises
  3. Organizational security measures
    Examples: policies, procedures, training and awareness concerning information security, reliability/integrity checks, identification and authentication procedures when you contact us or use our secure electronic services such as your Customer Space or your candidacy file.

We review these security measures regularly to ensure they are applied properly and continue to be fully effective and appropriate given the evolution of our systems and of information technologies.

We have also established procedures for detecting and managing security incidents that may affect your personal information. Members of the Hydro-Québec team are required to report any suspected or actual incident.

Learn more about security

Retention

How long do we keep your personal information?

We keep your personal information for as long as is necessary to carry out our activities and offer you our services, plus an additional period of time provided for in our retention rules, which we have adopted and have been approved by the Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec. This additional time allows us to meet certain legislative and regulatory requirements, or to enter such information into evidence in the event that we are party to legal proceedings.

If you have questions concerning the retention period that applies to a specific situation, please contact our access to information and privacy team.

Your rights

What are your rights concerning your personal information?

You have the right to access your personal information. Only you can exercise this right, unless you authorize the disclosure of your personal information to a third party.

In addition, if you believe that we hold personal information about you that is inaccurate, incomplete or ambiguous, or if you believe that we have collected, used, communicated or retained this information contrary to the Access Act, you have the right to request that we correct your information or that we stop collecting, using, releasing or keeping the information in ways you consider to be unauthorized by the law.

The law provides certain restrictions on your exercise of these rights. We will advise you in such situations.

Exercise your rights related to your personal information

Whom should you contact if you have questions about the Policy?

You can contact by email our access to information and privacy team.