Lindsay Kines and Jeff Rud Times Colonist The USA Patriot Act poses a greater risk to Canadians’ personal information than earlier stated by the B.C. government, the province’s information and privacy commissioner said Friday. David Loukidelis praised government for toughening B.C.’s privacy law, but said it needs to go further to prevent the FBI from […]

As part of its commitment to the viability of non-profit organizations in BC, VanCity Savings Credit Union is sponsoring low-cost training on how to implement BC’s new privacy law, the Personal Information Protection Act (“PIP Act”). VanCity Savings has awarded a grant to the BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) to fund the […]

The US-based Maximus corporation, a subsidiary of which is poised to take over the administration of BC Medical Services Plan and PharmaCare, has publicly stated on its website that it’s an “…outreach company for homeland security [Act] information sharing.” This revelation has amplified the privacy concerns of groups opposed to the imminent contract. [IMPORTANT UPDATE: […]

BC FIPA presented its submission to the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC on the implications for personal information of British Columbia residents involved in outsourcing of government services to U.S.-linked service providers in relation to the USA PATRIOT ACT. In view of section 215 [of the USA PATRIOT ACT], it appears that outsourcing to […]

A diverse and growing group of rights, health, union and other organizations has launched a province-wide campaign to demand that the BC government drop its proposed deal with the Maximus corporation because of the privacy implications of the USA PATRIOT Act. The Right to Privacy Campaign believes that contracting out the administrative functions of BC’s […]

BC Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis has launched a public process to review the impact of the U.S. Patriot Act on government plans to contract out the Medical Services Plan (MSP) to an American company. He has called for submissions from American and Canadian experts and the general public and expects to issue his report by […]

FIPA is applauding the final report of a Special Committee of the BC Legislature that has completed a six-year review of the province’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The committee’s report, “Enhancing the Province’s Public Sector Access and Privacy Law”, makes 26 recommendations to improve each of the 6 parts of the […]

BC Information and Privacy Commissioner David Loukidelis has sent a letter to the BC government decrying proposals for changes to the FOI and privacy act that would “undermine the openness and accountability the government has promised.” The letter was sent to a Special Committee of the Legislature that is conducting a review of the Act. […]

FIPA has joined with more than 30 other civil liberties groups in sending an open letter to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) asking it to cease development of a biometric national database standard for biometric passports. Privacy International, which organized the letter, is worried that international agreement on such a standard will pressure governments […]

BC’s Information and Privacy Commissioner has presented a sweeping vision for reform of the provinces’ Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to a special committee of the Legislature which is conducting a review of the act. The submission proposes that public bodies be required to implement schemes for routine disclosure of a lot […]

A special committee of the B.C. Legislature is conducting the second formal review of the province’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIPP) Act. The submissions made to this committee, and its report to the Legislature, will be a major influence on the Liberal government’s future approach to FOI and privacy. Once again, the […]

BC FIPA has proposed revisions to s. 13 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act in Response to the Decision in College of Physicians of British Columbia v. British Columbia (Information and Privacy Commissioner) in its submission to the Special Committee to Review the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act […]