Knowing and understanding who you are is critical. Data shapes both the programming we create and the products we build; it always has. Online, we have an opportunity to use your data to become a better public broadcaster. This information also helps us understand whether the programs we create appeal to Canadians.
Here is the information we collect when you sign in to CBC and why we collect it.
| Field | Mandatory/Optional | Why are you asking for this? |
| Full Name | Mandatory |
We need your name because we require our community members to use their real names in our comment sections. Your name only appears to others if you choose to comment on our stories. |
| Email Address | Mandatory | We need your email address to allow you to sign-in to your account on all your devices, reach out on technical questions, email you information, and help you recover your password. |
| Password | Mandatory |
We need you to choose a password to keep your account secure. We won't share your password with others and neither should you. |
| Consent Checkbox | Mandatory for some services |
In line with Canadian laws, this checkbox is for you to consent to the collection of your data. But it's more important to us that you actually understand how we're using your data and why. To learn more, read our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. |
| Date of Birth | Mandatory for some services |
While date of birth is not mandatory for services such as CBC newsletters or commenting on articles, we do require this information for our video streaming service (gem.cbc.ca and the CBC Gem app). Viewers must be 13-years of age or older to sign-up for a subscription service, and date of birth helps us to monitor or "age-gate" our subscription services. We can also use date of birth information to review our programming to make sure we are properly serving all Canadians, and to offer our users a more personalised CBC experience. |
| Postal Code | Mandatory for some services |
Your postal code helps us show you more local content and more relevant ads. Knowing what area of the country you live in helps us understand whether we are creating programs that interest Canadians across the country. |
| Gender | Optional |
You can choose to share your gender to help us make sure we are creating programming that appeals to all Canadians and show you ads that might interest you more. |