In this update: Conservatives hit hard by backlash against online spying bill – a privacy issue that has rung the bell with a majority of Canadians. Read the update (pdf).

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC has published guidelines for public bodies considering the benefits and risks of cloud computing. “Cloud computing” refers to the practice of using the Internet to process, manage and store data on remote network services, rather than on one’s own computer hard drives. As the popularity […]

In an investigation report released yesterday, Commissioner Elizabeth Denham shot down the use of facial recognition technology by ICBC for identifying Stanley Cup rioters unless they are responding to a court order. “Facial recognition has the potential to become a technology of surveillance, and we must ensure that public bodies and private organizations using it […]

The federal Conservatives’ online spying bill is back in Parliament and bad as ever … but opposition to the bill has been ferocious, and the feds may have to reconsider some of the most controversial sections. Bill C-30, the Protecting Children from Internet Predators Act is the latest version of a long string of lawful […]

Canada’s federal and provincial Information Commissioners are urging the federal government to make reform of the Access to Information Act and improved compliance part of the Open Government action plan. The recommendations are included in a joint “Letter on Open Government” sent to President of the Treasury Board Tony Clement on January 20, 2012. The […]

BC FIPA’s response to a petition by Ministry of Citizens’ Services to the BC Supreme Court in relation to a judicial review regarding FIPA’s FOI request for the Workplace Support Agreement between the Province of BC and IBM Canada. Download the response (pdf). BC FIPA opposes all orders sought by the petitioner.  The Ministry is […]

The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association is calling for penalties to be imposed on the BC government for cases where its deliberate cover-ups of embarrassing information amount to an abuse of the freedom of information process. Yesterday the Vancouver Sun reported that the BC government spent 19 months claiming that a pamphlet promoting […]

The BC Civil Liberties Association has issued a timely and comprehensive report on soon-to-be introduced “lawful access” bills to expand police surveillance powers. The federal government has announced that it will soon be introducing legislation to increase the ability of police to intercept private communications and access more personal information stored electronically. The BCCLA’s new […]

The Province has been Hiding Full Contract From Taxpayers for Eight Years; Going Back to Court in March to Keep Contract Under Wraps The Canadian Taxpayers Federation (CTF) today revealed that the provincial government has spent $124,522.48 so far in its eight-year-long fight against releasing the IBM workplace service contract to the BC Freedom of […]

“Congratulations. We did not think it was possible to create a consultation document on Open Government without making a single mention of Access to Information, but you did it. Bravo.” So begins a FIPA submission sent today to the Canadian government, which is making a show of consulting Canadians about its purported efforts to improve […]

BC FIPA has made its submission on Open Government in response to this somewhat ad hoc consultation, which was announced by the President of the Treasury Board, the Honourable Tony Clement, on December 6, 2011. Our submission is highly critical of the nature of the consultation and its focus only on open data and technology. […]

In this issue: FIPA celebrates 7th birthday of FOI Request for BC government’s $300 million contract with IBM Mayor Gregor Robertson flip-flops on freedom of information policy Privacy, civil liberties groups issue statement of principles on Canada-U.S. perimeter agreement Download the update (pdf).