Since 2001, the Canadian federal government has undertaken a startling number of programs and initiatives requiring the collection and sharing of vast amounts of previously uncollected personal information of Canadians. Many of these programs have been shown to have inaccuracies in the data resulting in demonstrably arbitrary decision-making.  The most recognizable program is the Passenger […]

Private sector organizations generally must give you access to your personal information; however, there are exceptions, which differ depending on whether BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), or the Federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) applies to the organization.  Under PIPA, an organization may refuse to give you access to your personal […]

There is usually no fee for you to request your personal information. In some cases, a fee may apply to general information requests, but you have the right to file a complaint about the fee or request the fee to be waived for justified reasons.   For example, under BC’s Personal Information Protection Act, private sector […]

You have the right to access your personal health information held by your healthcare provider. In general, your healthcare provider cannot refuse to let you see the information in your file, except if they believe that the access may put you or someone else at risk.   Typically, the easiest way to access your health records […]

Once a request is submitted, the information holder usually has 30 days to respond to the request; however, it is common for the information holder to extend the response deadline by an additional 30 days. Information holders can extend the response deadline if it is approved by the Privacy Commissioner, if the requestor has not […]

You have a right to access your medical records held by a hospital, clinic or care facility operated by the government, or in the electronic health record (EHR) system. Your right to access is limited when there is a legal reason that the information in the record should not be given to you.  You must […]

You have the right to submit a complaint if you believe that either your request has not been properly fulfilled or you have been mistreated. If you live in BC, you can file a complaint through the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia for matters involving private sector organizations or provincial […]

In 2008, BC’s E-Health (Personal Health Information Access and Protection of Privacy) Act (e-Health Act) was enacted to support the development of the e-Health system.  Under the e-Health Act, the Minister can designate any health database in the public system as a health information bank (HIB) and require it to be filled with information from […]

The information holder should tell you if they do not have the records you requested. If they know that a different institution has them, they should transfer your request and inform you that the request has been transferred. The institution that received your request must then respond to you within 30 business days of the […]

To request 911 records, an applicant must directly contact and request from the originating emergency agency. For example, if a police department was involved, that specific police department in the relevant jurisdiction should be contacted. Please see E-Comm’s 911 website for more information.   Requests for audio recordings of 911 calls may be denied based on […]

The Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) has provided guidance about privacy concerns between landlords and tenants in British Columbia. Simply put, landlords must comply with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). Anyone offering rent—whether it is a secondary suite, condo, or apartment—is subject to the rules of PIPA. The rules of PIPA […]

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) […]