FIPA’s support for obtaining media coverage is determined on a case-to-case basis. There are many factors stemming from both the individual and FIPA in determining whether FIPA may be able to support. For example, one major factor is the issue and the sensitivity of the information.   Please contact FIPA directly via email fipa @ fipa.bc.ca […]

Almost all BC organizations in the private sector fall under the ambit of the Personal Information Protection Act. For example, PIPA covers but is not limited to corporations, partnerships, individuals involved in a commercial activity (e.g. business that is not incorporated), charities, societies, and not-for-profits.   Under PIPA, private sector organizations have two main responsibilities which […]

Private sector organizations can collect your personal information for legitimate and reasonable purposes; however, they must follow the personal information and privacy rules set out in the Personal Information Protection Act, which are based on the ten principles of privacy protection.  For example, the organization should identify the purpose for collecting personal information, including how […]

Public bodies, as per the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), may collect personal information only if it is expressly authorized under an Act, collected for the purposes of law enforcement, collected at a public event, or it is necessary to be collected.   Generally, public bodies can only use your personal information […]

In BC, the private sector and public sector are governed by separate freedom of information (FOI) and privacy legislation.   The Freedom of information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) regulates the FOI and privacy practices of organizations in the public sector. Public sector organizations (public bodies) covered by FIPPA include:  Ministries  The Office of the […]

Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) requests can be used to access your personal information or government records from a federal public body. Federal public bodies have 30 days to respond to a formal ATIP request, but this time limit can be extended for up to another 30 days. The two reasons a request can […]

Freedom of information (FOI) requests to BC public bodies can provide you information about either:   government activities or programs, or  personal information from government records about yourself or on behalf of someone else.  There is no limit to how much information you request, but the larger the size of the request, the more resources it […]

Patients legally have a right to request a correction to their personal information, including their medical records (section 29 of FIPPA and section 24 of PIPA). The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) applies to public bodies which include health authorities, hospitals, clinics, and government programs. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) […]

When requesting your personal information from a public body, one of the first things you should do is verify that the public body has the personal information you seek. Accessing information, even if it is your own, can sometimes be a long-drawn-out process so it is important to verify they have it before starting the […]

The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) is a non-partisan, non-profit society that was established in 1991 to promote and defend freedom of information and privacy rights in Canada. Our goal is to empower citizens by increasing their access to information and their control over their own personal information. BC FIPA provides public […]