Sep 21 2016
Automated licence plate recognition (ALPR) technologies can quickly capture and match large volumes of licence plate numbers to lists of plates stored in a database. Police services in Ontario use ALPR systems to match licence plates with lists of plates, such as stolen and expired plates and pla...
Sep 15 2016
Individuals and organizations rely on email for its convenience, speed and economy. Health information custodians are no exception. While email offers many benefits, it also poses risks to the privacy of individuals and to the security of personal health information. This sensitive information mu...
Sep 06 2016
Today we are releasing two papers on Open Government, which is a concept based on the core belief that the public has the right to access the records and proceedings of government. Governments around the world are recognizing Open Government as an essential ingredient for democracy.
Open Governme...
Aug 25 2016
To commemorate Right to Know Week, Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner, Brian Beamish, is coming to London to discuss emerging trends in access to information and open government at Western University on September 27. The morning’s agenda will also include members of the IPC’...
Jul 22 2016
Commissioner Beamish was interviewed by TV Ontario’s Daniel Kitts about the direction he wants to take as Commissioner, where there is still work to be done with regards to transparency and privacy in Ontario and how public attitudes and expectations have changed when it comes to accessing gove...
Jul 15 2016
Ransomware is a type of malicious software, or “malware,” that encrypts files on your device or computer and then demands payment in exchange for the key needed to decrypt the files. It essentially locks you out of your data and holds the means of regaining access for ransom.
In recent months...
Jun 28 2016
Today we released our 2015 Annual Report – Focus Ontario: A Year of Outreach, Engagement and Collaboration. The report contains a comprehensive review of the year in access and privacy issues, and detailed statistics about freedom of information requests, compliance rates, appeals and privacy c...
Jun 08 2016
As the demand for government-held data increases, institutions require effective processes and techniques for removing personal information. An important tool in this regard is de-identification. “De-identification” is the general term for the process of removing personal information from a r...
Jun 07 2016
Some of Ontario’s public servants, elected officials and political staff use instant messaging services and personal or political party email accounts, in addition to their institution-issued email accounts, while doing business.
It is important to note that records relating to an institution�...
Jun 06 2016
Information and Privacy Commissioner Brian Beamish has been named as the 2016 recipient of the Ontario Bar Association’s (OBA) prestigious Karen Spector Memorial Award for Excellence in Privacy Law. This award is in recognition for exceptional achievements by a member of the OBA who is working ...