Latest Blog Posts
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How Does our Office Keep you Anonymous?
The Commissioner publicly posts review and investigation reports regarding a variety of matters involving applicants and complainants. As much as possible, our office tries to conceal their identities. Our office also recognizes that there are times when it is warranted to conceal the identity of someone other than an applicant or a complainant. De-identification is... read more
Real Risk of Significant Harm (updated)
Amendments to The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) and The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act in 2018, require that once it is confirmed that a privacy breach occurred, the public body must consider if, as a result of the incident, there is a real risk of... read more
“A” Trustee vs. “THE” Trustee (updated)
If you are reading this blog, I probably don’t need to tell you how complex the healthcare system is. When dealing with The Health Information Protection Act (HIPA), one of the most challenging brain teasers I have to deal with on files is who is the trustee in any given circumstance. When we start to... read more
Data Residency Outside Canada for Trustees
Trustees often ask our office about the use of an information management service provider (IMSP) to manage personal health information. Some want to know about using IMSPs linked to companies outside Canada. Once personal health information leaves Canada, it becomes subject to the laws of the country where it resides. If an individual’s personal health... read more