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Important Notice: Do you have questions on the AH, ADSC or Quikcard Breach?

If you have received a notice of a privacy breach of your personal or health information from Alberta Health, Alberta Dental Services Corporation or Quikcard, and you are seeking information about the breach, please contact Alberta Health or Alberta Dental Services Corporation directly  at 1-833-545-2197, Monday - Friday from 6:00am to 6:00pm  with weekend coverage of 7:00am to 3:00pm or call  1-800-232-1997 Monday to Friday between 8am to 5pm.  You may also visit https://www.quikcard.com/cyberincident/ or https://www.adsc.org/cyberincident/  for more information.  Our office is unable to provide you with this information.

If you are seeking information on how to file a privacy complaint or about your privacy rights, please click here.

The most recent website posts:

  • F2024-25
    July 24, 2024
    An individual made an access request to Alberta Health Services (the Public Body) under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) for “arbitration notes (Nov 24-28, 2014) between the Public Body, [Named Entity] and [the Applicant] with presiding Arbitrator [Named Individual].” The Applicant made two requests for the information. The first request was made to the arbitration counsel, an employee of the Public Body, directly, the arbitration counsel emailed a response stating that the records were subject to solicitor-client privilege and would be withheld. The response was never received by the Applicant due to an error… Read More...
  • F2024-24
    July 24, 2024
    An individual made an access request to Public Safety and Emergency Services (the Public Body) under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) for copies of the agendas and minutes of meetings, including all of the related notes, documents and attachments associated with these agendas and minutes, of the three most recent meetings of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police (AACP, or the Third Party). The Public Body located responsive records and determined that information in the records contained information the disclosure of which could affect the AACP. The Public Body informed the AACP of… Read More...
  • F2024-23
    July 19, 2024
    On August 16, 2023, the City of Edmonton received an access request made by the Applicant under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. On February 15, 2024, the Applicant requested a review of the Public Body’s failure to respond to the request. The Adjudicator ordered the Public Body to respond to the request as required by the FOIP Act. Read More...
  • F2024-22
    July 19, 2024
    The Applicant made an access request dated September 12, 2023 to the City of Edmonton under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. On November 28, 2023, the Applicant requested a review of the Public Body’s failure to respond to the request. The Adjudicator ordered the Public Body to respond to the request as required by the FOIP Act. Read More...
  • P2024-06 & H2024-02
    July 19, 2024
    The Complainant filed two complaints regarding a transfer of his information from Dr. Derick Rautenbach (the Custodian) to Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada (the Organization). The transfer was made in the context of the Complainant’s disability claim with the Organization. The complaint against the Custodian was made under the Health Information Act (the HIA) regarding disclosure of his health information, while the complaint against the Organization was made under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) regarding collection and use of his personal information. The common circumstance between both complaints was whether the terms of an Authorization signed by the… Read More...
  • F2024-21
    July 15, 2024
    The Applicant made an access request to Justice (the Public Body) under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the FOIP Act) for all records relating to a prosecution in which he was the accused. The Public Body conducted a search for responsive records and responded to the Applicant. In its response, the Public Body stated: We are pleased to provide access to 144 pages you requested; copies of which are enclosed. There were a total of 584 pages responsive to your request. Some of the records located contain information that is withheld from disclosure under the FOIP… Read More...
  • F2024-20
    July 15, 2024
    Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the Act), the Applicant made an access to information request to the City of St. Albert (the Public Body). The Applicant sought the results of soil testing conducted on his neighbour’s (the Owner’s) property. The testing was carried out by Advanced Environmental Engineering Ltd. (the Consultant). The Public Body withheld the entire testing report (the Assessment) under section 16(1) of the Act. The Public Body also withheld some information under section 17(1). At inquiry the Applicant clarified that he only wanted the results of the testing, not the whole report.… Read More...
  • F2024-19
    July 15, 2024
    On July 27, 2023, the City of Edmonton (the Public Body) received an access request from an individual (the Applicant) under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the FOIP Act), for certain information. On February 9, 2024, Applicant requested a review by this Office, indicating that the time limit for responding to the access request under the FOIP Act had expired and the Public Body had not provided a response. The Adjudicator found that the Public Body did not respond to the Applicant within the time limit set out in the FOIP Act and ordered the Public… Read More...
  • Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner joins investigation into company that does background checks
    July 11, 2024
    The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) of Alberta will work with two other privacy authorities in Canada on a joint investigation into Certn (Canada) Inc., a company that offers background check services, including tenant screening services to landlords. Certn is based in Victoria, British Columbia, and offers its services across Canada. The Privacy Commissioner of Canada and the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia launched a joint investigation into Certn in early June. Subsequently, the OIPC of Alberta made the decision to join the investigation, after confirming that there is evidence that Certn’s work includes the… Read More...
  • GPEN Sweep finds majority of websites and mobile apps use deceptive design to influence privacy choices
    July 9, 2024
    Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta participated in research that led to today’s conclusions A global privacy sweep that examined more than 1,000 websites and mobile applications (apps) has found that nearly all of them employed one or more deceptive design patterns that made it difficult for users to make privacy-protective decisions. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) of Alberta was one of the organizations that participated in the work that led to the reports being released today. Deceptive design patterns use features that steer users toward options that may result in the collection of more of… Read More...
  • F2024-18
    June 28, 2024
    The Complainant is a police officer and his employer is a municipal police service. The Workers’ Compensation Board (the Public Body) accepted his claim for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The Public Body arranged for the Complainant to attend a psychiatrist for an independent medical examination (IME). The Public Body provided a copy of the IME report to a general practitioner and a psychologist whom it knew to have treated the Complainant, and to his employer. The Public Body requested that the Complainant attend an additional IME. The Complainant declined. The Public Body asked a medical consultant of the Public Body… Read More...
  • P2024-05
    June 27, 2024
    An individual made a complaint under the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) alleging that the Veterans Villa Housing Project (the Organization) collects, uses and discloses personal information of its tenants, beyond what is necessary for providing its service, in contravention of the Act. The complaint related to the Organization’s use of video surveillance and the requirement of tenants to inform the Organization of any overnight guests. The Adjudicator found that the Organization is authorized to collect, use and disclose personal information via video surveillance for the purpose of ensuring the security of its premises. However, the Organization’s practice of disclosing… Read More...
  • P2024-04
    June 27, 2024
    A tenant at a condominium complex (the Complainant), made a complaint that the policies and practices of Endeavor Parking Corp. (the Organization), which was the Organization contracted by the condominium corporation to manage the parking lot at the condominium complex, did not comply with the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).  In particular, the Complainant advised that he requested but did not receive a copy of the Organization’s privacy policy.  He further expressed concern that the Organization kept licence plate tracking data beyond what it reasonably required for legal and business purposes.  Additionally, he asserted that it was not clear what… Read More...
  • Alberta Information and Privacy Commissioner makes recommendations on revisions needed to PIPA
    June 13, 2024
    Recommendations focus on need to update legislation to protect privacy in the midst of vast and fast-moving changes in the handling of information around the world The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) of Alberta has made a series of key recommendations to update and strengthen a law that is critical to the advancement of the province’s interests in the information and digital economy. The OIPC has provided a comprehensive submission to the Alberta legislature’s Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship as part of the committee’s review of the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), which is more than two… Read More...
  • PIPA Review 2024
    June 13, 2024
    On May 31, 2024, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) of Alberta provided a submission to the Alberta legislature’s Standing Committee on Resource Stewardship as part of the committee’s review of the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA). Click below to see the submission, along with the letter attached to the submission when it was sent to the committee. OIPC Submission to PIPA Review May 2024 Read More...
  • F2024-17
    June 7, 2024
    An Applicant made a request to Alberta Executive Council (the Public Body) under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) for all records related to Benga Mining or the Grassy Mountain Coal Project. The Public Body responded to the Applicant, informing it that it located 613 pages of responsive records. The Public Body provided 17 pages with some information withheld, and withheld the remaining records in their entirety citing sections 6(4), 21, 22, 24, 25, and 29 of the Act. The Applicant requested an inquiry into the Public Body’s response. The Adjudicator determined that section 6(4)… Read More...
  • F2024-16
    June 7, 2024
    An Applicant made a request to Alberta Executive Council (the Public Body) under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) for communications between members of Cabinet and the Alberta Energy Regulator, for a specified time period. The Public Body responded to the Applicant, informing them that it located nine pages of responsive records but that it was withholding all pages in their entirety under section 22(1) of the Act. The Applicant requested an inquiry into the Public Body’s response. The Adjudicator determined that section 22(1) does not apply to the information in the records. Read More...
  • F2024-D-01
    May 22, 2024
    The Public Body requested that the adjudicator recuse herself on the basis that it had a reasonable apprehension of bias regarding the adjudicator. The Public Body pointed to the fact that in Order F2023-45 the adjudicator did not follow a precedent the Public Body argued she should have followed, and because the adjudicator changed the order of submissions, which the Public Body considered to reverse the burden of proof in the inquiry. The Public Body also pointed to the fact that it had applied for judicial review of Order F2023-45. The Adjudicator determined that the Public Body had not established… Read More...
  • Time Extension Requests Under Section 14 of the FOIP Act - June 2024
    May 22, 2024
    June 17, 2024 In June 2024, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) introduced two new forms for use  by public bodies to submit time extension requests under section 14 of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act). The forms can be found on the Forms page of our website here. The OIPC also developed this guidance entitled the RFTE Practice Note 2024 on how to fill out and use the forms. These changes align with the OIPC strategic priority, found in our 2024-2027 Business Plan, of enhancing internal processes to support our legislative… Read More...
  • F2024-RTD-03
    May 17, 2024
    The City of Medicine Hat (the Public Body) requested authorization under section 55(1) of the FOIP Act to disregard specified access requests made by an applicant. The application was dismissed and the Public Body was required to respond to the specified access requests in accordance with the FOIP Act. Read More...