As Canadians increasingly engage with digital services, applying for healthcare, enrolling in school, or accessing government benefits, the question of where our personal information is stored has never been more important.
Is it on a secure server in Nova Scotia, a cloud database in Ontario, or quietly sitting on infrastructure in the United States, Ireland, or Singapore?
If you live in Nova Scotia, the Personal Information International Disclosure Protection Act (PIIDPA) gives you the legal right to find out. This post will help you understand what counts as cross-border data storage, how to check where your personal information lives, and what steps to take if it’s outside Canada.
Why Data Location Matters in Canada
In Canada, data residency laws are grounded in the principle that personal information should remain within the country unless absolutely necessary, especially when handled by public sector bodies. Why? Because foreign countries have different privacy laws from Canada’s. If your data is stored outside Canada:
- It may be accessible to foreign governments under their laws (like the U.S. CLOUD Act).
- You may not be informed about breaches or access.
- It may not be protected to the same standards as Canadian laws require.
Data stored within Canada is subject to Canadian privacy laws, regulators, and enforcement mechanisms.
What is PIIDPA and Why It Matters
PIIDPA was introduced in 2006 to control and monitor how public bodies store and share your data internationally.
Key Protections Under PIIDPA:
- Public institutions must not store or access your personal information outside Canada unless permitted by law or necessary for service delivery.
- Any cross-border access must be documented.
You have the right to request a record of how and when your data was disclosed or accessed internationally.
New to PIIDPA? Read our complete introduction: What Is PIIDPA? A Plain Language Guide to Nova Scotia’s International Data Law.
If you’re a resident who has interacted with a public hospital, municipal office, university, or school board in Nova Scotia, your data likely falls under PIIDPA’s scope.
How Your Data Might Leave Canada
Even if you haven’t left the country, your data might have. Here are common ways data crosses borders in public sector environments:
| Scenario | Risk |
| A school board uses a U.S.-based learning platform. | Student data is stored outside Canada. |
| A government agency backs up servers via global cloud vendors. | Archived data is accessible internationally. |
| An HR system vendor is headquartered in Ireland. | Employee data is processed under EU laws. |
| A hospital uses third-party transcription services based abroad. | Medical records are shared internationally. |
How to Check If Your Info Is Stored Outside Canada
Here’s what you can do as a resident of Nova Scotia:
1. Check the Public Body’s Privacy Policy
Many institutions include disclosures about international data handling in their privacy policies. Look for language like:
- “Data may be stored on servers located outside of Canada.”
- “We use cloud providers headquartered in the United States.”
If it’s not mentioned, that doesn’t mean it’s not happening; it just means you may need to dig deeper.
2. Submit a PIIDPA Access Request
You can formally ask whether your personal information has been disclosed outside Canada. Nova Scotia’s PIIDPA law gives you the right to request a record of:
- When and how your data was accessed or stored outside the country.
- What information was involved.
- Why the international disclosure occurred.
Not sure how to do this? Follow our guide: How to File a PIIDPA Request in Nova Scotia.
3. Ask the Public Body Directly
If you don’t want to file a formal request, you can contact the organization’s privacy officer or records department and ask:
“Can you confirm whether my personal information is ever stored or accessed outside of Canada, and under what circumstances?”
This approach is especially helpful for clarity before submitting formal documentation.
What Happens If It Is Stored Abroad?
If a public body confirms that your data is (or has been) stored outside Canada, you may choose to:
- Ask why the transfer was necessary.
- Request the name of the vendor or platform involved.
- Inquire about safeguards or contractual protections in place.
If you believe a public body is violating PIIDPA, you may also raise a concern with the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Nova Scotia.
International Comparison: How Other Laws Treat Cross-Border Data
While PIIDPA is one of Canada’s strictest laws regarding restricting international data storage, it’s part of a much broader conversation about data sovereignty and jurisdictional risk. Here’s how some of the world’s most essential privacy laws handle cross-border data transfers:
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
The GDPR sets a high bar globally and includes robust rules for transferring data outside the European Union. These transfers must rely on:
- Adequacy decisions (approved countries)
- Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs)
- Binding Corporate Rules
- Explicit consent in specific contexts
Organizations must also conduct Transfer Impact Assessments (TIAs) to evaluate the legal environment of the destination country.
Want to understand how GDPR applies to your business? Read our blog post: Understanding Data Subject Rights Under GDPR for Business Owners.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)
HIPAA doesn’t regulate where health data is stored, but it enforces strict controls over how it is stored and shared. Covered entities must:
- Use Business Associate Agreements with third parties.
- Implement administrative, physical, and technical safeguards.
- Maintain audit trails and breach reporting.
Curious about how you can learn more? Check out our HIPAA compliance guide on how to learn from major HIPAA violations.
Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA)
PIPEDA governs Canada’s private sector. It allows cross-border data flows if:
- The organization is transparent about the practice.
- Appropriate contractual or procedural safeguards are in place.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner clarifies that individual consent isn’t required for international transfers, but organizations must remain accountable.
Need to understand how PIPEDA handles data transfers and more? Check out our full PIPEDA compliance breakdown.
If you’re a Nova Scotia resident, you have the right to know where your data lives, and PIIDPA is the tool that makes that possible.
Whether your personal information stays on Canadian soil or travels across borders via cloud services or international vendors, staying informed puts you in control of your digital privacy.
Need to check where your data is stored? Follow our Step-by-step instructions to submit a PIIDPA access request.
Why Carbide is the Trusted Compliance Partner for Nova Scotia
As a company proudly based in Nova Scotia, Carbide understands the importance of data sovereignty and regulatory accountability. Our platform and services help privacy-conscious organizations manage complex compliance requirements and scale their business with a security-first mindset.
Whether you’re working to minimize cross-border data risk, fulfill access requests, or audit your vendor landscape, Carbide gives you the tools to do it confidently and transparently.
Get a free consultation to learn more about how Carbide supports other data privacy laws, such as PIPEDA and GDPR.
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