Blog Post #1 – Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA)

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC (OIPC BC)

Privacy and security information is important. In British Columbia (BC), the body that governs the privacy and security for individuals and organizations is the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) for BC. The OIPC was established all the way back in 1993, and is responsible for laws and regulations around The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

The current OIPC, Michael Harvey, is granted a variety of powers from the legislature, including but not limited to: investigating and resolving appeals about privacy and access to information under FIPPA, PIPA, and other legislation; investigate public bodies in the interest of the public; and oversee the conduct and practices by public and private organizations that connect to personal information. Information on the OIPC BC can be found here.

FIPPA affects nearly three thousand public organizations, such as government organizations, schools, police departments, hospitals, etcetera. PIPA, on the other hand, only applies to private organizations. This includes any organization in the private sector that collects, uses, or shares private information of individuals.

References

About Us. (n.d.). Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for BC. https://www.oipc.bc.ca/about/about-us