What has FIPA been up to since last year? Read it all in our Annual Report for 2010 (pdf).

Information and Privacy Commissioner Elizabeth Denham has announced that her office has been examining the PRIME police database, following a complaint about PRIME to BC’s Solicitor General by the BC Civil Liberties Association (BCCLA). BCCLA’s complaint states: “The B.C. Civil Liberties Association has discovered that as many as 85% of British Columbia’s adult population have […]

In this issue: ‘Open Government’ trend is heating up – Will there be light as well as heat? FIPA to Parliamentary committee: avoid ‘open government’ models that reduce citizens’ information rights Commissioner investigates so-called “Proactive Disclosure” policies BC Government goes to court again to contest release of full IBM contract FIPA welcomes new Minister for […]

BC FIPA sent a list of questions on freedom of information and privacy issues to the NDP leadership candidates. We received responses from Adrian Dix and John Horgan which you can download below.   Adrian Dix’ response (pdf). John Horgan’s response (pdf).

BC FIPA has responded to the Infomation and Privacy Commissioner’s investigation into proactive disclosure. The Office of the Commissioner has asked for input through a questionnaire. Today FIPA has provided its answers to the questions, its comments on what constitutes a model proactive disclosure policy, as well as its recommendations on the practice of simultaneous […]

A current trend by politicians and bureaucrats to embrace electronic ‘Open Government’ initiatives may not empower citizens to demand the specific information they want, says FIPA’s new Executive Director, Vincent Gogolek. Rather, it may divert government from making long-overdue improvements to Canada’s Access to Information system. Gogolek appeared before the Standing Committee on Access to […]

BC FIPA presented its submission on ‘Open Government’ to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Access to Information, Privacy and Ethics (ETHI). We have to ensure that overdue moves toward more routine release and the use of technology to make government information more widely available must also make this information useable for all Canadians. […]

Dean Beeby Ottawa- The Canadian Press Jan. 09, 2011 A new study ranks Canada dead last in an international comparison of freedom-of-information laws – a hard fall after many years being judged a global model in openness. The study by a pair of British academics looked at the effectiveness of freedom-of-information laws in five parliamentary […]

Weekly privacy news briefs from around the world Privacy News Highlights – 15 Jan 2010 Privacy News Highlights – 22 Jan 2010 Privacy News Highlights – 31 Jan 2010 Privacy News Highlights – 12 Feb 2010 Privacy News Highlights – 28 Feb 2010 Privacy News Highlights – 7 Mar 2010 Privacy News Highlights – 14 […]

A report from BC’s Auditor General says that the province has not established an effective process for monitoring the security of its information. A software tool called Security HealthCheck that monitors security policies, standards and practices has been introduced across government ministries, but the AG found that its implementation is seriously flawed. Self-assessments by more […]

In this issue: FIPA wins 6-year battle for release of $300 million IBM contract FIPA to start 2011 with new Executive Director BC Ferries FOI policy thwarts requests from advocacy groups and media FIPA asks for investigation of false claims of “no records” by government Third BC Information Summit a big success Legal Actions: Black […]

FIPA has joined with CIPPIC and other Canadian rights groups to send an open letter to the House of Commons ETHI Committee calling for thorough review of Bill C-29, cynically titled the ‘Safeguarding Canadian’s Personal Information Act’. Bill C-29 proposes a number of amendments to Canada’s federal privacy protection statute, the Personal Information Protection and […]