FIPA recently replied to an OIPC request that sought details on our experiences with application fees for general FOI requests.   In our response, we restated our ongoing concerns with the application fees and provided stories that illustrate these concerns. For example, we expressed concern that the fees were passed into law during the Special Committee’s […]

A law reform activity has begun to ensure political parties respect your privacy rights. Learn more by visiting Your Political Privacy. Become part of the coalition by emailing yourpoliticalprivacy at fipa.bc.ca

FIPA submitted multiple Freedom of Information (FOI) requests to the BC government this fall regarding the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the public engagements held in the summer of 2021. Government requested extensions for all of them. That pushed release for some until after the end of session. We pushed […]

Working with our partners in the Right to Information Alliance of Canada (RTIAC) we sent letters to the major political parties to determine what their commitment is to greater Government Transparency. The Individual letters to the parties and the responses received are at the bottom of this page. RTIAC Letters to Parties – RTIAC Questions – […]

FIPA has added a new public resource. Transparency Spotlight can be found under the Research and Resources Section. This is a searchable table of over 6,500 news stories informed through Access to Information requests that will be added to and expanded going forward. Transparency Spotlight shows the important role access to information plays in research […]

The Ministry of Citizens’ Services launched an online survey soliciting input on access to government information and the protection of privacy. The Ministry says it will use this input to make improvements to the rules surrounding access to information and protection of personal information. The survey is open until 4pm PT on July 15, 2021.   We were hoping for a […]

VANCOUVER, September 17, 2020 – The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) has released their latest report Troubling clouds: Gaps affecting privacy protection in British Columbia’s K-12 education system.    “The government is setting the system up for failure.” according to Jason Woywada BC FIPA Executive Director. “Without the resources, guidance and supports they need, teachers, schools, and districts are making the best of a bad situation. The result puts personal information in the system at risk.”  […]

Vancouver, September 2, 2020 – FIPA is encouraged by the report but discouraged by the climate that gave rise to it. The fact that public bodies have been consistently violating the law is deeply concerning and FIPA urges the BC Government to take this report seriously.    “The NDP ran on a platform favouring stronger FOI law in 2017. We haven’t seen them follow through […]

This document analyzes BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) relative to Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act, Quebec’s Act Respecting the Protection of Personal Information in the Private Sector, and Canada’s Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. It highlights key differences, provision by provision, in BC’s PIPA relative to other jurisdictions. As it is a side by side analysis of Canada’s private-sector privacy […]

BC FIPA recommends key changes to BC’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) VANCOUVER, June 10, 2020 – During the Special Committee’s public consultations to review PIPA, BC Freedom of Information and Privacy (FIPA) presented several key recommendations.  Compared to other provincial and the federal privacy legislation, BC’s PIPA has had no substantive amendments in the last 17 years. Presently, more than ever, personal information is being collected […]

BC FIPA, along with other civil society groups, has signed on to Open Media’s joint letter calling for measures to be put in place to ensure Canadians’ right to privacy is protected, and not undermined after the crisis is over. Specifically, we are asking for a clear message from the provincial and federal governments stating […]

View full submission here. The context in which we understand privacy is shifting in the current landscape of big data analytics, machine learning, and artificial intelligence. What was generally considered a broad topic with varying normative understandings is now at the forefront of debates and policy work as the varied stakeholders attempt to narrow its […]