Surrey-Green Timbers MLA Rachna Singh will chair of an all-party special committee to gather input from British Columbians on the effectiveness of the province’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).
The act governs how private-sector organizations collect, use and disclose personal information. It also requires organizations to protect and secure personal information against unauthorized use or disclosure, and grants individuals the right to access their own personal information.
The legislative assembly appointed the special committee in February.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has brought considerable change to how many of us work and communicate,” Singh said in a news release posted Monday (May 4). “Our increased reliance on technology makes it an especially appropriate time to review this legislation.”
Other members of the committee are Dan Ashton (MLA, Penticton, deputy chair), Mable Elmore (MLA, Vancouver-Kensington), Adam Olsen (MLA, Saanich North and the Islands) and Steve Thomson (MLA, Kelowna-Mission).
“There have been significant developments, including new innovations in digital technology and artificial intelligence, since the last review of the act in 2014,” deputy chair Ashton noted in the release. “We would like to hear from British Columbians how PIPA could be improved.”
A public hearing is planned via tele/videoconference in June. The deadline for all input is Aug. 14, and the committee’s report is due by February 2021. More details are posted to leg.bc.ca/cmt/pipa.
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