May 07 2019
The death of a family member is a stressful and emotional time. Surviving family members typically find themselves needing their family member’s personal information from government organizations or health care providers, which often requires formal requests. Finding the right organization, fil...
Apr 15 2019
Planning is an essential part of preparing for the inevitable changes in life. If you are a health care practitioner, a good succession plan can ensure that you protect the people you serve from an interruption to their health care or a breach of their privacy if you change your practice.
Every y...
Apr 12 2019
The Information and Privacy Commissioner (IPC) will host a special event in Waterloo on Friday, May 31, at Wilfrid Laurier University, Science Building, 75 University Avenue in Waterloo. This event is part of the IPC’s Reaching Out to Ontario program.
Commissioner Brian Beamish, along with exec...
Jan 28 2019
Facebook and Cambridge Analytica. General Data Protection Regulation. These were headline news for much of 2018.
Both served to highlight how advancements in technology can infringe on privacy rights and the importance of valuing and protecting personal information. While it might be tempting to ...
Jan 11 2019
There are more than two million students enrolled in Ontario’s public and separate schools. School boards, teachers and administrators are required to keep each student’s personal information secure and confidential.
Today the IPC released A Guide to Privacy and Access to Information in Ontar...
Dec 20 2018
Energy conservation sensors that dim the streetlights when no pedestrians or cars are around. A real-time parking app that maps out and directs you to the nearest available parking spot. Garbage sensors that detect when the bin is full and send a truck to empty it. These are all examples of techn...
Nov 26 2018
In Ontario, your privacy rights are protected by rules limiting the collection, use and sharing of your personal information. But what happens when law enforcement is involved? Do the same rules apply?
The short answer is yes. In general, under Ontario’s access and privacy laws, institutions sh...
Oct 31 2018
Twice a year, I take the opportunity to visit a different community as part of the IPC’s Reaching Out to Ontario program. These visits give me, and the IPC executive team, a chance to update those working in the public service and health sectors − as well as the public − on emerging access ...
Sep 26 2018
Do you know you have the right to access government information? Do you know how to exercise that right?
Under Ontario’s access and privacy laws, you can request access to your personal information – as well as general information − held by provincial and municipal government institutions.
...
Sep 21 2018
“Right to Know Week raises awareness of the role of freedom of information as a pillar of democracy. The right to access government-held information provides citizens with a window into how their governments are operating, supporting transparency, accountability and civic engagement.
These demo...