Information and Privacy Commissioner Jill Clayton has launched an investigation into Service Alberta concerning the disclosure of personal information under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act).
The investigation will focus on a leak of documents to a member of the media in August 2014.
“My office recently received evidence that the documents given to the media contained information about a number of individuals. I am an advocate for proactive disclosure of information to promote accountability and transparency. However, there are ways to protect personal information when disclosing this type of information under the FOIP Act, and I’m concerned about the security of Service Alberta’s system to protect the privacy of individuals,” said Clayton.
The overall objectives of the investigation are to:
- determine whether Service Alberta used or disclosed personal information in compliance with the FOIP Act;
- determine whether Service Alberta protected personal information as required by the FOIP Act; and
- if necessary, provide recommendations to Service Alberta to improve security of personal information.
Results of the investigation and potential recommendations when they become available will be made public on the OIPC website at www.oipc.ab.ca.