Answers to common privacy questions

To help you better understand our privacy practices and our commitment to safeguarding customer personal information, we have published a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) as a supplement to our Privacy Commitment. The questions below have been asked by our customers, and we use specific examples to be clear and transparent about our collection, use and disclosure of customers' personal information. We will continue to update this page as technology and customers’ interests evolve, and we will endeavour to promptly answer any additional questions you pose to us by phone or email. Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with our privacy practices.

Last updated October 31, 2023

TELUS collects certain information about you and your use of our products and services, or your application for, or interest in, our products and services. We respect your privacy, which is why we collect personal information only for the following purposes:

To establish and maintain a responsible commercial relationship with you and to provide ongoing service
To understand your needs and preferences
To develop, enhance, market or provide products and services
To manage and develop our business and operations
To meet legal and regulatory requirements

Personal information may also be collected and stored by cookies as outlined in our Cookies Notice.

For information on what personal information we collect, please read question 2.

The types of information we collect from our customers generally fall into one of the following categories:

To establish and maintain a responsible commercial relationship with you and to provide ongoing service.

Here are some examples of what we mean by this:

When you apply for a service, we generally set up an account and collect information such as name, address, date of birth, preferred language, TELUS account number(s), any other authorized users, unique account security PIN(s) and email address
In order to confirm your identity and/or conduct a credit check, we may also ask for acceptable identification or identifying information
We also collect and use some personal information to confirm your identity when you contact us. For example, when you call us, we will ask to confirm some personal information to verify it's actually you and not someone else trying to access your account without authorization
If you use a TELUS mobile application (app) such as My TELUS or Optik TV, we collect information that is reasonably necessary to authenticate you and provide the service
For billing purposes, we collect records of the services you use, such as telephone numbers, times, dates, and durations of incoming and outgoing cellular calls, data usage and billable home phone calls and movies. We also collect payment information to set up pre-authorized payments if you choose to do so
To assist you in understanding your bill, we also collect information about how the services or apps used on any of the devices on your account contribute to data usage
If you use any of our home services (i.e., Internet, TV, Smart Home Security, home phone), we collect your address and other relevant information in order to provide those services to your home

To understand your needs and preferences.

Here are some examples of what we mean by this:

We maintain a record of the products and services you receive from us, and we may collect additional information about the usage levels and patterns associated with those products and services
Some of the data we collect or use for this purpose includes your wireless device information, such as telephone number, SIM card number, operating system, network type, device manufacturer, model and make, and IMEI serial number
We may also collect additional information to better meet your preferences, including details of the products and services you receive from us, such as your wireless device rate plan, or high-speed Internet rate plan
We have an automated system that analyzes your Optik TV viewing preferences in order to suggest shows or channels you may be interested in; for example, you may see on-screen suggestions in our Optik On Demand service, or may receive them directly from a customer service representative
We may collect or infer information about you or your preferences for particular products, services or lifestyle activities from information you provide us about yourself when you tell us your preferences, or when your usage activities indicate what your preferences are, or we may collect such information from other sources authorized to disclose it

To develop, enhance, market or provide products and services.

Here are some examples of what we mean by this:

From time to time, we may review and analyze your use of our products and services to help us provide better product recommendations and special offers that we think will interest you
We may examine your wireless usage patterns in order to recommend a new monthly plan that saves you money
We may analyze your use of our products and services to better understand your preferences, and to help us develop or enhance our products and services. This may include analysis of location data to provide relevant, new or enhanced products and services. For example, if you are roaming outside of the TELUS network with your wireless device, we may offer you a roaming package
We may note that you have a home phone and Internet services, and offer you a discount if you bundle them with a TV and/or a wireless service
We might recommend a new service or TELUS app that we think you'll enjoy based on your existing services with us or the apps you use

We note that our customers who do not wish to receive these types of recommendations or offers may choose to be removed from our marketing lists at any time

To manage and develop our business and operations.

Here are some examples of what we mean by this:

We may collect personal information to help us manage our day-to-day operations, and to manage our infrastructure, including securing it and planning for future growth
We analyze how many customers use our wireless sites at what times of the day to help us plan new infrastructure. We also look at records associated with text and multimedia messages - which includes the date and time of sent and received messages, but not the content itself, as well as the associated phone numbers and cell towers
We similarly analyze records associated with calls made on our cellular network, including location data (i.e., locations of the cell towers that handled the communications). This also helps us plan for future infrastructure investment
We may look at usage data on our high-speed Internet network to help us improve reliability and stability. We collect and use IP addresses and port numbers that our customers are assigned, have connected to, or attempted to connect to. This allows us to continue offering internet connectivity
We may use video surveillance to monitor and/or record the activity that occurs in and around TELUS stores, premises or infrastructure, including wireless sites. We may also use unmanned air vehicles (drones) to inspect our remote wireless or network sites (i.e., cell towers). This information is used to maintain our networks, or for security and investigation purposes to protect us from theft, vandalism or damage to our property, and, most importantly, to protect you and our team members
We may also use cameras mounted on ground vehicles to capture information on infrastructure in TELUS service areas. This information is used to plan, build and maintain our networks
We monitor activity on our networks to detect and prevent fraud to protect both our customers and our business
We record interactions, such as telephone calls or chats, to or from TELUS service representatives for quality assurance and training purposes; our systems may also conduct real-time analytics on such interactions to identify trends and patterns to help us serve you better. In some cases, we use conversational artificial intelligence (chatbots) to help you expedite your interactions with TELUS
We collect information about visits to our websites (such as telus.com) to optimize our TELUS web properties, and for security purposes

To meet legal and regulatory requirements.

Here are some examples of what we mean by this:

We may collect or preserve information in response to a court order, which may include collecting your wireless device location for specific purposes
There is certain information that we are required to collect, use and disclose as a regulated telecommunications company. For example, if a customer dials 911, we provide the customer's name, telephone number, and location information to the emergency agency. Another example would be to satisfy a request for information from the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) about a customer complaint and how it was resolved
We need to collect certain information to comply with statutory obligations, including our tax reporting obligations

Some things we don’t collect:

Content of telephone conversations made across our networks, with the exception of voicemails (so we can deliver them) and calls made to our call centres
Content of the applications (apps) you use and content of text or multimedia messages, with the exception of messages you send to TELUS
Satellite GPS location of customers. However, if a customer’s wireless device has GPS capability, we may be able to determine the location of that device in real time. For example, we may access this information in response to a court order or when you call 911 in order to help first responders locate you in an emergency

We do not intentionally collect personal information from minors without permission from a parent or legal guardian, except for certain contests where we might open the contest to those 13 years or older and collect contact information but solely for the administration of the contest.

But we go further than that. We know how important it is to ensure our kids are safe online. That is why we developed TELUS Wise®. Free-of-charge, TELUS Wise offers interactive and informative workshops and content to help Canadian youth have a positive experience as digital citizens. Topics include protecting your online security, privacy, and reputation, rising above cyberbullying, and using technology responsibly. Visit telus.com/wise to learn more.

TELUS has a Data & Trust Office that is responsible for maintaining an accountable privacy management program specifically designed to protect your privacy and for setting policies and procedures to earn and maintain your trust in our data handling practices.

In addition, we have published our Privacy Management Program Framework to demonstrate our rigorous commitment to robustly protecting and respecting your personal information.

As a core commitment of TELUS, all members of the TELUS team are accountable for protecting the privacy of our customers and team members, and all team members play a role in earning and maintaining our customers’ trust. Whether we are developing products and services, interacting directly with our customers in their homes or in a call centre, marketing our products and services, supporting our technology infrastructure or designing security solutions, part of our “Customers First” philosophy is putting customers’ privacy first. Not only is this part of our privacy commitment to our customers and team members, but this is also part of our commitment to integrity in all that we do, every day. To that endeavour, we have established the TELUS Trust Model.

TELUS has robust training and awareness programs, including annual mandatory Integrity training that is provided to 100% of employees, including contractors with access to TELUS information systems.

We have embraced the 7 foundational principles of Privacy by Design, striving to embed these privacy-enhancing principles into all of our product and service development processes.

TELUS maintains a robust information security governance program to protect your personal information with appropriate security safeguards. We safeguard customer data through administrative, physical and technical security controls. We protect the privacy of your personal information through contractual and other means when we are working with other organizations.

Privacy risk management

A vital part of our commitment to you is to protect your privacy through ongoing, systematic identification of privacy risks so that those risks can be mitigated or avoided. We embrace the 7 foundational principles of Privacy by Design and strive to build privacy protections into our products and services from the outset; TELUS also uses a variety of risk identification tools to identify and assess privacy risk, including:

Privacy Impact Assessments / Data Impact Assessments / Algorithmic Impact Assessments
Security Risk Assessments / Threat Risk Assessments / Data Risk Assessments
Audits by our Internal Audit team
Privacy risk reviews of a business process
Investigation of a privacy complaint or inquiry

Securing your data

To learn more about our privacy risk identification tools, please read our Privacy Management Program Framework.

Moreover, we use industry-leading best practices and cutting edge technology to protect your information. Importantly, TELUS has a strong culture of privacy and security and all team members and contractors are trained on the importance of maintaining the privacy and security of our customers. To learn more about our commitment to security, please visit us at TELUS Security.

Incident management

TELUS takes the privacy and security of our customers very seriously. In that regard, we have developed the TELUS Data Incident Readiness and Response Playbook designed to facilitate a coordinated and timely response to the detection, management and remediation of privacy incidents. We recognize that it is important to respond with a sense of urgency when an incident occurs involving personal information and to take decisive action to contain the incident and, where appropriate, to notify customers who are impacted, or our regulators, in a timely manner.

When an incident impacts our customers, we are committed to fully investigating it, mitigating risks arising from it, implementing safeguards designed to prevent it from happening again and, more generally, making it right with you, our customers. If and when an incident occurs that could impact you, putting you at risk of harm, we will contact you via phone, text or email, and depending on the type of incident, we will post information on a web page to keep you informed of any relevant updates as we work to remedy the incident.

Empowering our customers

We also believe that an important part of protecting your privacy is sharing with you best practices on what you can do to protect your own privacy and security. To learn more about:

recognizing phishing and spam
protecting your devices
protecting yourself from identity theft and fraud
surfing the internet safety
creating strong passwords

please visit our Protecting Your Privacy page.

TELUS Wise

At TELUS we believe in empowering all Canadians to stay safe in our digital world. Free-of-charge, TELUS Wise® offers interactive and informative workshops and content to help Canadians of all ages have a positive experience as digital citizens. Topics include protecting your online security, privacy, and reputation, rising above cyberbullying, and using technology responsibly. Visit TELUS Wise to learn more.

We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes we have identified to you, or as required by law. All team members are advised of the importance of handling personal information in accordance with our data retention practices. We provide guidance to team members on the efficient and consistent management, retention and secure disposal of TELUS information. TELUS has a defined records retention schedule which is accessible online to all TELUS team members. The schedule sets out the retention period (a maximum and minimum) for each category of records at TELUS based on business needs and legal requirements. Once records are at the end of their retention period, they are disposed of in a secure manner, in accordance with specific security standards set out by TELUS Security and updated from time to time, as required.

TELUS participates in the Adobe Experience Cloud Device co-op, which helps us to deliver consistent advertising, and to reduce the number of redundant or irrelevant ads you see, whether you are on your laptop, tablet, phone or smart watch. The Device co-op helps us recognize which of your devices are linked through the use of technology that includes cookies and IP addresses, but no other information about you or your online activities. To learn more about the Device co-op and/or unlink your devices, visit the Adobe website.

Yes. We may use video surveillance to monitor and/or record the activity that occurs in and around TELUS stores, premises or infrastructure, including wireless sites. We may also use unmanned air vehicles (drones) to inspect our remote wireless or network sites (i.e., cell towers). This information is used to maintain our networks, or for security and investigation purposes to protect us from theft, vandalism or damage to our property, and, most importantly, to protect you, our customers, and our team members.

Personal information collected by TELUS will be stored and processed in Canada or other countries. In either case, the information is protected with appropriate security safeguards, but may be available to foreign government agencies under applicable law. In particular, your personal information may be stored in the cloud, which may include transfers of data outside of Canada. Where appropriate, we use de-identification and other means to protect and minimize the amount of personal information we transfer.

You should also note that while roaming outside Canada the storage, treatment and transfer of your personal information and data may be subject to laws or regulations different from those in Canada.

Yes, TELUS conducts data analytics using customer data for internal purposes including managing and developing our business and operations; understanding your needs and preferences; and to develop, enhance, market or provide products and services to you. For example, we might examine your wireless calling patterns to recommend a new monthly plan that saves you money, or analyze your Optik TV viewing preferences in order to suggest shows or channels you may be interested in; for example, you may see on-screen suggestions in our Optik On Demand service, or may receive them directly from a customer service representative.

TELUS also analyzes aggregated network information, such as records of communications sent and received by our customers on our networks, in order to manage and develop our business and operations. For example, understanding calling patterns to wireless sites over time helps us identify where network congestion will occur in the future and allows us to plan our infrastructure investment to serve you better.

TELUS may also provide de-identified and aggregated data sets to third parties in order to identify trends and patterns, and gain insights that can be used to better understand and solve complicated problems. While these insights may be shared with third parties such as municipalities, provincial or federal government departments or agencies, corporations and tourism bureaus, your personal information will not be shared. For example, TELUS may use large sets of de-identified and aggregated cell tower data to analyze traffic flow patterns, helping a municipality identify areas of congestion to help them plan more effective transit routes.

To learn more about how TELUS protects your privacy using de-identified and aggregated data, visit the data analytics section of our privacy site.

One of the choices we provide at TELUS is the opportunity for our mobility subscribers to opt-out of including their location information in de-identified form where the information or insights are intended to be disclosed to third parties to assist in research, planning, or product and service development, except where such sharing is required by law.

If you wish to opt-out, please enter your mobile number on our opt-out page.

Yes, we are exploring numerous opportunities in AI within our business and believe that AI will also extend our capabilities to give back to the broader community and contribute to a friendlier future. Current AI applications are in their early stages, and we believe that human passion to innovate, coupled with strong ethical AI design principles, can create a powerful and positive transformation of our society.

As part of our commitment to putting customers first, we deploy AI responsibly. This means using data with integrity and in a way that protects privacy in accordance with our TELUS Privacy Commitment. It also means being transparent about how data is used. We aim to foster an environment where AI is a tool to drive the best customer experiences and improve our communities through social good initiatives.

For example, instead of building marketing campaigns based on static business rules, we can embrace the opportunity to use supervised machine learning models to determine the products and services that are of interest to you, our customers. AI can help us learn from our past customer interactions to give us insights into what matters most to you. Our participation in the Trusted Signals Exchange and their innovation around responsible use of AI have allowed us to implement this customer focused understanding in a manner that respects our customers’ privacy.

To learn more about how TELUS’ approach to responsible AI, visit the responsible AI page.

Customers may also opt-out of including information in de-identified form where the information or insights are intended to be shared within the Trusted Signals Exchange to assist participants in research, planning, or product and service development, except where such sharing is required by law. For more information about this, visit Responsible AI at TELUS.

Our participation in the Trusted Signals Exchange and their innovation around responsible use of AI have allowed us to implement this customer focused understanding in a manner that respects our customers’ privacy.

If you wish to opt-out, please enter your account number on our opt-out page.

One of the many ways we put you first is to offer you the choice in how your personal information is used. You can:

Have your name removed from our marketing lists. However, this means that we will not inform you of relevant products, services and special offers that may be of benefit to you.
Exclude your name from directory listings (i.e., Yellow or White Page listings).
Refuse to provide personal information to us or withdraw consent previously provided, subject to legal or contractual restrictions and reasonable notice. Please note that doing so may limit our ability to serve you or may force us to cancel some or all of the services you receive from us.
If you want to exercise any of the above choices, you may contact us by *611 from your TELUS mobile phone or by calling 1-866-558-2273.
In addition to the above options about your personal information, TELUS also offers you the option to opt-out of including your information in de-identified form where the information or insights are intended to be disclosed to third parties to assist in research, planning, or product and service development, except where such sharing is required by law. If you wish to opt-out of these types of programs, please follow the instructions in question 16 and question 17.

The TELUS Privacy Request Center is a specialized team to assist customers with privacy inquiries and accessing their personal information. You may contact them at:

Mailing address:
TELUS Communications Inc.
Privacy Request Centre
PO Box 2590, Station M
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 5J6

Telephone:
310-1000 – Option 1 (Alberta and British Columbia);
1-800-567-0000 – Option 1 (All other provinces)

Fax:
1-800-567-1450

Email:
[email protected]

We care about your privacy and we want to make sure your concerns are addressed. We have a two-step process that allows you to escalate your concern if you are not satisfied with the information we provide in response to your inquiries or concerns:

Step 1: Please start by contacting our Privacy Request Centre (contact information noted in Question 20).

Step 2: If the Privacy Request Centre cannot address your concern, they will refer your complaint to our Data & Trust Office who will work with you to resolve the matter.

If you are still not satisfied, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, who is responsible for investigating complaints under the Personal Information Protection Documents Act (PIPEDA):

Mailing address:
The Office of Privacy
Commissioner of Canada
30 Victoria Street
Gatineau, Quebec
K1A 1H3

Telephone:
1-800-282-1376

Fax:
613-947-6850

Website:
http://www.priv.gc.ca

Personal information is defined in PIPEDA as any information about an identifiable individual, other than the name, title or business address (including business email address) or business telephone or fax numbers of an employee of an organization.

TELUS uses the same definition. Generally, we are dealing with information about customers or employees such as a customer’s credit information, billing records, service and equipment, and any recorded complaints. Personal information does not include de-identified or aggregated information that cannot be associated with a specific individual.

Information about sole proprietors or partners is only considered to be “personal information” if it is information about the individuals themselves, as distinct from information about their businesses. The latter is protected by other TELUS policies and practices and through contractual business arrangements.

While apps differ in terms of their functionality, features, terms and conditions, some apps contain harmful software and/or request unnecessary personal information or data stored on your device such as your contacts, photos, location, app or browser activity and more. Here are some top tips that can help you protect your privacy when using mobile apps:

Only download apps from official app stores (Apple’s App Store, iTunes or Google Play), and be selective about which apps you download. Avoid downloading apps from untrusted sources; stick to apps created and managed by trusted, reputable companies.
When installing an app, review what other areas of your device the app is requesting permission to access. If the requested access should not be needed for the app to work, reconsider installing it. For example, be suspicious if a flashlight app is requesting access to your photos or contacts as this access should not be needed for the flashlight feature to work. At the very least, do not grant access to your contacts, camera, photos or location for an app that does not require them to function.
Always read the terms and conditions and privacy policies associated with third party apps so you understand what you are agreeing to in exchange for access to the app. While many apps are free, they may be costly in terms of the information you are sharing.
Review and adjust privacy and permission settings to control how your information is used and who is able to see it. Be sure to check privacy and permission settings periodically, not just when you download the app as they can change over time.
Promptly review and accept app updates when available as these updates often contain patches to known security or privacy vulnerabilities.
If you download an app and decide you no longer need it, deactivate your account (if applicable) and delete the app from your device. Note that deleting pre-installed apps that come with your phone may not be possible, however you may be able to delete them in your Phone Settings.

It is important to note that TELUS has no involvement with the third party apps you choose to download or with non-TELUS apps that come pre-installed on your mobile device or tablet. To learn more, please visit our Protecting Your Privacy page.

Free-of-charge, TELUS Wise® offers interactive and informative workshops and content to help Canadians of all ages have a positive experience as digital citizens. Topics include protecting your online security, privacy, and reputation, rising above cyberbullying, and using technology responsibly.

To book an in-person session for your school, parent group, community group or seniors group visit us at telus.com/wise or email us at [email protected].

From time-to-time, we may update our Privacy Commitment and/or our Privacy Code as technology and customers’ interests evolve, and as privacy or other applicable legislation is updated. We will notify you of significant changes by posting the change on our website and including a notice with your bill or other means. These FAQs are updated from time to time, largely to reflect answers to the most commonly asked questions, and to provide greater clarity and transparency, as required.

We encourage you to let us know if you have questions or concerns about your privacy. You may contact the TELUS Privacy Request Centre at 1-800-567-0000 or email us at [email protected].

Koodo customers can contact the Koodo Privacy Request Centre at 1-855-525-6636 or send an email to [email protected].

Public Mobile customers can contact the Public Mobile Privacy Request Centre by email at [email protected].

Law 25 is the Quebec government’s amendment to the Private Sector Privacy Act, which regulates the collections, use and disclosure of personal information under provincial jurisdiction in Quebec. The changes modernize aspects of the various laws governing individuals’ privacy in Quebec, amending provisions involving consent, data protection officers, notice, individuals’ rights and more. Overall the changes have much in common with the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation.

Law 25 applies to the personal information of individuals located in Quebec, and companies’ operations in Quebec involving personal information, that are also areas of Quebec provincial jurisdiction. For TELUS, our health, agriculture and some retail operations in Quebec are the main activities to which Law 25 applies.

Law 25 applies to TELUS products, services, processes and documents if all of the following criteria are met:

TELUS operations physically located in Quebec, or involving the collection, use or disclosures of PI relating to Quebec residents.
Subject matter is solely under provincial jurisdiction:
- Health services not subject to other Quebec health privacy legislation
- Agriculture
- Consumer Goods
- Home Security
- Building security and Management
- Entertainment and apps
- Employee personal information related exclusively to the above operations
- All retail employee personal information for employees located in Quebec.
A direct relationship exists between TELUS and the individual who is located in Quebec when collecting consent and personal information when providing a product or service (the individual could be a customer, user or team member).

Law 25 will not create a noticeable change for most TELUS customers. Some products and services offered to customers may need additional notice or consent processes, particularly apps or other products that involve profiling or automated processing of personal information. Individuals also have some additional rights in relation to their personal information, including the right to have their personal information deleted on request in some circumstances.

Questions?

In case you still have questions regarding TELUS' privacy practices, please call us at 1-800-567-0000 or email [email protected].

Helpful resources

National Do Not Call List

Learn more about your choice to receive telemarketing calls.

Go to the Do Not Call List

TELUS Security

We are committed to providing our customers with a secure experience.

Go to TELUS security

TELUS Wise

Learn more about protecting your online privacy and using technology responsibly.

Visit TELUS Wise