Section 5 — Privacy Act: Personal information to be collected directly

A government institution shall, wherever possible, collect personal information that is intended to be used for an administrative purpose directly from the individual to whom it relates except where the individual authorizes otherwise or where personal information may be disclosed to the institution under subsection 8(2). A government institution shall inform any individual from whom the institution collects personal information about the individual of the purpose for which the information is being collected. Subsections (1) and (2) do not apply where compliance therewith might result in the collection of inaccurate information; or defeat the purpose or prejudice the use for which information is collected.