MEDIA RELEASE
February 16, 2015
Legislative Assembly - Province of British Columbia
VICTORIA –The Special Committee to Review the Personal Information Protection Act today released its report with 15 recommendations to strengthen privacy protection for British Columbians.
The Personal Information Protection Act requires private-sector organizations to protect and secure personal information that they have in their custody or under their control against unauthorized use or disclosure, and grants individuals the right to access their own personal information. The committee conducted a public consultation process from June until October 2014 and received valuable input from advocacy groups, organizations and individual British Columbians. The committee found that the act is working well but that updates would improve accountability, address challenges related to new information technologies, and respond to changes in the legal landscape.
“The consultations revealed that there are significant challenges to privacy protection in today’s world,” said committee chair Mike Bernier. “The act needs to keep pace with technological change and recent developments in privacy law in Canada and elsewhere.”
“Privacy protection is increasingly important to British Columbians and the proposed amendments to the Act and related measures would ensure that it continues to be effective,” added deputy chair George Heyman. “The committee thanks all those who participated in the committee’s review.”
The committee’s report is available at:
http://www.leg.bc.ca/cmt/40thparl/session-3/pipa/index.htm
The Special Committee to Review the Personal Information Protection Act is an all-party committee of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. The committee members are:
Mike Bernier, MLA Peace River South (chair);
George Heyman, MLA Vancouver-Fairview (deputy chair);
Donna Barnett, MLA Cariboo-Chilcotin;
Dr. Doug Bing, MLA Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows;
Simon Gibson, MLA Abbotsford-Mission;
Sue Hammell, MLA Surrey-Green Timbers;
Marvin Hunt, MLA Surrey-Panoramal;
Doug Routley, MLA Nanaimo-North Cowichan.
For further Information:
Susan Sourial
Committee Clerk
Room 224, Parliament Buildings
Victoria, B.C. V8V 1X4
Telephone: 250 356-2933
Toll-free: 1-877-428-8337
Fax: 250 356-8172
E-mail:
PIPACommittee@leg.bc.ca
