Caution is necessary as artificial intelligence continues to shift the Canadian digital economy Artificial intelligence has long been reshaping the way we live and this summer marked an important stride in Canada’s path to an even more digitally-driven economy and government. From Jan. 19 to Sept. 21, Minister Navdeep Bains of Innovation, Science, and Economic […]

*** Update: As of December 3rd, 2018, one week following the publication of this blog post, and a couple of weeks after more than 400 Canadians exercised their privacy rights and requested their personal information through an OpenMedia campaign that FIPA assisted with, Statistics Canada has announced that they are suspending their practice of obtaining […]

How the government’s action regarding the long-overdue FIPPA reform reflects our collective attitudes towards political issues By Carlo Javier We have an interesting relationship with our rights – especially those dealing with our freedom to access information and privacy. On one hand, conversations around such issues have certainly become more welcome in the general Canadian […]

Best Practices in Whistleblower Legislation, prepared by Carroll Anne Boydell, instructor of criminology at Kwantlen Polytechnic University on behalf of the British Columbia Freedom of Information and Privacy Association, compares BC’s new whistleblower legislation, the Public Interest Disclosure Act (PIDA), to international best practices standards. Best practice principles exist for laws, regulations, and procedures aimed […]

MEDIA RELEASE November 5, 2018 Statistics Canada Requesting Financial Information of Canadians VANCOUVER, November 5, 2018 – The recent media reports of Statistics Canada seeking to collect the financial information of Canadians in order to build a personal information bank—and the report that Statistics Canada has already received personal financial data from one of Canada’s […]

On Thursday, September 27th, FIPA hosted the 2018 BC Information Summit at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver. This year’s theme explored how changing perceptions around the right to know and the right to one’s privacy are being shaped. The conference assembled a range of experts from varying backgrounds to look at these developments and discuss […]

  OPEN LETTER TO PREMIER HORGAN Reform of Freedom of Information and Privacy Legislation During this year’s Right to Know Week, FIPA sent a joint letter to Premiere John Horgan and Minister Jinny Sims calling for immediate action to reform and update BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). Citing various studies, […]

MEDIA RELEASE October 17, 2018 USMCA Puts Privacy at Risk VANCOUVER, October 17, 2018 – The pending free trade agreement between Canada, Mexico, and the United States (USMCA) conflicts with existing provincial legislation around data localization and puts the privacy of British Columbians at risk. The Freedom of Information and Privacy Association of British Columbia […]

MEDIA RELEASE October 4, 2018 Recommendations for Canada’s Digital Transformation VANCOUVER, October 4, 2018 – The B.C. Freedom of Information and Privacy Association submitted a paper to the department of Innovation, Science, and Economic Development for their consultation on digital transformation. The national digital and data consultation, including the roundtable discussions that took place across […]

NEWS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE SEPTEMBER 26, 2018 Civil Society Groups Unite to Push for Action to Reform Freedom of Information and Privacy Legislation Groups across Canada kick-off Right to Know Week by calling for immediate action to reform and update BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). VANCOUVER, September 24, 2018 […]

Earlier today we sent a joint letter to Premier John Horgan and Minister Jinny Sims supporting Freedom of Information and privacy reform. The text of the letter, signed by a number of well-known groups and individuals, is set out below. See here for the PDF copy. September 24, 2018 The Honourable John Horgan Premier of […]

NEWS RELEASE September 24, 2018 2018 Information Summit opens in Vancouver this Thursday Big names headline major conference on the future of Freedom of Information and Privacy Vancouver, September 24, 2018 – The BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association (FIPA) is pleased to announce the 2018 BC Information Summit taking place this Thursday, September 27th […]