Commissioner Michael McEvoy from the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) kicks things off. He will be focusing on transparency and privacy in the context of COVID-19 along with recent work at the OIPC. This Microsoft Teams meetings is capped at 250 participants. Given the impacts we’ve seen through this global pandemic be sure to sign up for this event quickly.
Date & Time: September 30, 2020 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (check-in at 11:30 AM) Platform: The event will be held via Microsoft Teams. More information will be sent upon registration. Tickets: This kick-off event is free of charge.
This session will focus on issues of transparency and access to information in the context of COVID-19 and how this global pandemic has altered expectations and practices. Commissioner McEvoy will further touch upon his office’s latest report and recurring themes they’ve identified. For legal and privacy professionals, this presentation and facilitated question and answer session presents a unique opportunity to engage on a topical subject with a leader in the field while undertaking professional development.
Featuring Commissioner Michael McEvoy
Michael McEvoy was appointed Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC by unanimous motion of the Legislative Assembly. He began his six-year term as an independent Officer of the Legislature on April 1, 2018.
Immediately prior to his appointment, Commissioner McEvoy was seconded from his position as Deputy Commissioner at the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC), a role he had held since 2013, to the Information Commissioner’s Office in the United Kingdom. From September 2017 to March 2018, he helped lead the ICO’s investigation into Cambridge Analytica and Facebook.
Since taking office at the OIPC, the Commissioner has embarked on a series of investigations and programs aimed at strengthening access to information and protection of privacy. In February 2019, he released a ground-breaking investigation report into how BC’s political parties collect and use the personal information of BC voters. One month later, as part of the OIPC’s efforts to educate BC organizations, he launched PrivacyRight, a comprehensive program for the private sector, to help approximately 1 million BC firms, non-profits, doctor’s offices, trade unions, and other organizations understand their obligations under the province’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
The global flow of trade and data requires privacy regulators to work together nationally and globally. A national and international leader in the privacy authority community, Commissioner McEvoy heads the OIPC role of Secretariat for the Asia Pacific Privacy Authorities (APPA), a forum for privacy and data protection regulators in the Asia Pacific region.
Commissioner McEvoy began his career at the OIPC in 2007, authoring more than 50 rulings under provincial access and privacy law. He was a public school trustee for 12 years, a role that included two terms as President of the British Columbia School Trustees’ Association and one as President of the Canadian School Boards’ Association. He also served on numerous committees of the Greater Victoria United Way and chaired its 2009 campaign.
Commissioner McEvoy obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of Manitoba in 1985 and a Bachelor of Arts in 1980 from the University of Winnipeg. He has been a member of the Law Society of British Columbia since 1986. He is married with two daughters and is a charter member of the Victoria Grey Leafs’ old-timer hockey team.
