Our privacy commitment to you

At TELUS, we respect our customers’ privacy and take great care to safeguard personal information. As part of our ongoing commitment to putting customers first, we have a long-standing policy of protecting privacy in all of our business operations.¹

We believe that an important part of protecting privacy is to be clear about how we handle customers' personal information, and to make information about our approach easily accessible.

We have developed this Privacy Commitment to provide you with specific details about our privacy practices.² We have also developed the

TELUS Privacy Code

which sets out the general principles that govern the collection, use and disclosure of our customers' personal information.³

We have learned from our customers that sometimes you just want the big picture, while other times you may want more details or examples of how a policy or process works. For this reason, we have structured this Privacy Commitment in layers. Importantly, both our Privacy Commitment and

reflect the requirements of Canada’s applicable privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act, applicable Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) privacy regulations, and our own continuing commitment to customer privacy. The bottom line is that we want you to understand the purposes for which we collect, use and disclose personal information about our customers. The following is a summary of our privacy practices.

Last updated November 21, 2019.

Why we collect personal information

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.

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.
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.

When we share personal information

We take great care with what information we share, and why. There are circumstances where we share some personal information about our customers:

To facilitate and improve the provision of products and services to you. Here are examples of what we mean by this.

We may share personal information with:

A person seeking information as an agent of a customer, such as a customer's legal representative, or as an authorized user under their account, if we are satisfied that the person is authorized to receive the information;
Other TELUS business units to help us serve our customers better and to provide them with services from different parts of our company;
Other telecommunications companies for the efficient and cost-effective provision of telecommunications services, such as the information required to facilitate the porting of services between carriers or when settling roaming charges;
A company involved in supplying a customer with telecommunications or directory related services; for example, Yellow or White Page listings, when your home phone number is published in the directory.

To enable our service providers and partners to help us serve you better.

We may share information with our suppliers, agents or other organizations or individuals contracted to TELUS to perform services or functions on our behalf where they require the information to assist us in serving you. We strive to minimize the amount of personal information that we share with our service providers and partners; we share the information reasonably necessary to achieve the stated purpose, and require that it only be used for that purpose.

Examples of what we mean by service providers or partners include organizations that:

Conduct research on our behalf, such as customer satisfaction surveys;
Perform data processing on our behalf, such as printing customer statements;
Install equipment for services on our behalf at your home , such as Smart Home Security;
Administer special TELUS programs with us, such as a rewards program;

For credit-related purposes.

We may share personal information with credit bureaus:

to evaluate your creditworthiness;
for the purposes of monthly reporting on the status of your payment history with TELUS.

We may also share your personal information with collection agencies to collect an account if your account has been referred for collection.

When data crosses borders

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 of Canada, the storage, treatment and transfer of your personal information and data may be subject to laws or regulations different from those in Canada.

For emergency purposes.

We may share information with a public authority or agent of a public authority if, in the reasonable judgment of TELUS, it appears that there is imminent danger to the life, health or security of an individual which could be avoided or minimized by disclosure of the information.

Where required by law or applicable regulation.

We share customer personal information with law enforcement or other government agencies if we are required to do so to meet legal and regulatory requirements; for example, if TELUS is required to provide records to law enforcement in response to a valid court order.

Some of the ways we respect your privacy

TELUS has appointed a Chief Data & Trust Officer to oversee the TELUS Data & Trust Office. The Office 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.
We have embraced the seven foundational principles of
Privacy by Design
, striving to embed these privacy-enhancing principles into all of our product and service development processes.
Our published
Privacy Management Program Framework
demonstrates our rigorous commitment to transparently protecting and respecting your personal information.
The
TELUS Trust Model
guides our use of data and technology and is designed to ensure that our decisions concerning your personal information, generate value, promote respect and deliver security.
We maintain a robust information security governance program to protect your personal information with appropriate security safeguards. Our safeguards include 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.
We may de-identify personal information for a variety of reasons, including to safeguard it, or where de-identified information will serve the purposes for retaining the information. For example, we may de-identify certain network usage or location data for long-term planning where individual customers' personal information is not required. We may also de-identify data prior to conducting analytics that don't require personal information.
We strive to keep your personal information as accurate and up-to-date as is reasonably necessary for the identified purposes.
We respond in a timely manner to your requests for access to your personal information.
We keep personal information only as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes we have identified to you, or as required by law.
We take privacy and security training and awareness seriously, and we use a variety of different methods to assist our TELUS team members in respecting and protecting your privacy.
Unless you provide your express consent, TELUS does not disclose your personal information to marketers of third-party products or services to enable targeted advertising, or for any other purpose.
We have a team dedicated to responding to your privacy inquiries or concerns. For more information, please refer to our
Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQs).
We are committed to being transparent with you about how we handle your personal information, including through this Commitment, our
Privacy Code
, our privacy page at
telus.com/privacy
, and our annual
Transparency reporting
.
We use cookies in a limited manner, and only for purposes consistent with this Commitment. For more information, please refer to our
Cookies Notice
.
Privacy legislation generally sets out certain circumstances under which organizations may collect, use or disclose personal information without consent. Examples include emergency circumstances or the investigation of a contravention of laws. Other than under such specified circumstances, TELUS will not collect, use or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than those identified in this Commitment, our Privacy Code, your Customer Service Agreement, or our Service Terms, except with your consent.
TELUS will continue to review this Commitment to ensure it is relevant, remains current with changing technologies and laws, and continues to meet your evolving needs.

Choices we offer you

Questions?

Exception: This Commitment does not apply to personal information provided by or about customers who are consumers of TELUS Health consumer products and services. Our commitments governing the collection, use and disclosure of such individuals’ personal information are included in the

TELUS Health Privacy Policy

.

In this Privacy Commitment, the words "we", "us", "our" or "TELUS" refer to TELUS Communications Inc. and its subsidiary companies, as they may exist from time to time, including those subsidiaries or divisions that carry on business under the names TELUS, TELUS Communications, TELUS Mobility, TELUS Québec, TELUS Retail Ltd., Koodo, and Public Mobile, but not including TELUS Future Friendly Foundation, TELUS Health, TELUS Health and Payment Solutions, TELUS Sourcing Solutions Inc. or or TELUS International (Cda) Inc. The words "we" and "TELUS" do not include independent dealers and distributors of TELUS products and services.
The definitions set out in the TELUS Privacy Code apply to this Commitment.
The TELUS Privacy Code and this Commitment do not limit the collection, use or disclosure by TELUS of information that is publicly available. This includes: (a) a customer’s name, address, telephone number, and email address, when listed in a directory or available through directory assistance; and (b) other information about the customer that is publicly available and is specified by regulation pursuant to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act or other applicable legislation. The TELUS Privacy Commitment and Code do not apply to personal information created by, or collected from or on behalf of TELUS’ (including TELUS Health’s) business customers and their employees or contractors receiving TELUS services under corporate customer agreements. However, such information is protected by other TELUS policies and practices and through contractual arrangements. The TELUS Privacy Code and the privacy practices described in this Commitment are subject to the provisions of all applicable legislation and regulations.