The World Anti-Doping Agency has agreed to only use athletes’ highly sensitive personal information for “anti-doping purposes,” Canada’s privacy commissioner announced Tuesday, resolving a years-long investigation into the organization’s data sharing practices.
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada said in a statement that the World Anti-Doping Agency had committed to a series of measures that will help ensure international sport federations and anti-doping organizations do not use information collected from athletes for any other purpose.
“The World Anti-Doping Agency is entrusted with safeguarding the highly sensitive personal information of thousands of athletes from around the globe,” privacy commissioner Philippe Dufresne said.
“I welcome WADA’s commitment to take steps to help ensure that this information is only used for the purposes for which it was collected.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency told Global News in a statement that it was “pleased” to enter the compliance agreement and resolve the investigation.
“WADA takes the privacy of athletes’ data very seriously and has always maintained compliance with applicable privacy laws, including Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA),” a spokesperson said.
“WADA has not admitted to any contravention of privacy rules in Canada or elsewhere, but it is committed to working with regulators to address evolving privacy best practices.”
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Dufresne launched an investigation in November 2024 after receiving a complaint that alleged the World Anti-Doping Agency had disclosed biological sample information to international sporting federations, which was using the information to assess athletes’ sex-based eligibility without their knowledge or consent.
Such actions, if proven, would violate Canadian privacy law, which the Montreal-based agency became subject to in 2015.
The compliance agreement, which is signed by the agency’s director general and president, says the World Anti-Doping Agency has disputed the allegations as well as Dufresne’s jurisdiction over the investigation.
“WADA is prepared to enter into this agreement to resolve the commissioner’s investigation, but WADA does not admit any contravention” of PIPEDA, the agreement says.
The commitment comes shortly after the conclusion of the Winter Olympic Games in Italy but with the FIFA World Cup just three months away from kicking off in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico.
Under the terms of the agreement, the agency will update the World Anti-Doping Code by Jan. 1, 2027, to specify that athlete information collected for its Anti-Doping Administration and Management System must only be used for anti-doping purposes.
It must communicate that statute to anti-doping organizations within one month of the signing of the agreement, and update the privacy commissioner on the mechanism it will use to ensure those organizations are compliant no later than six months after signing.
The World Anti-Doping Agency must submit quarterly reports to the privacy watchdog on its progress in implementing its remedial measures until they are fully in place.
Dufresne retains the right to apply for a court order forcing the agency to comply if he believes the measures set out in the agreement have not been completed.
“WADA’s decision to enter into this agreement does not constitute acceptance of the OPC’s jurisdiction over the matters addressed in this process, and WADA expressly reserves its rights in that regard,” the agency’s spokesperson told Global News.
“However, WADA is fully committed to satisfying all obligations within this compliance agreement.”
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