The Special Committee to Review the Personal Information Protection Act released its report Monday with 15 recommendations to strengthen privacy protection for British Columbians.
Under the act, private-sector organizations are required to protect and secure personal information they have in their custody or under their control against unauthorized use or disclosure, and grant individuals the right to access their own personal information.
Between June and October 2014, the special committee conducted a public consultation process and received valuable input from advocacy groups, organizations and individual British Columbians, the government said in a press release.
While the committee found the act is working well, it noted 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.”
Deputy chair George Heyman said 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.
He also thanked everyone who participated in the review.
Committee members are: Bernier, MLA (Peace River South), Heyman, MLA (Vancouver-Fairview), 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-Panorama) and Doug Routley, MLA (Nanaimo-North Cowichan).
