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Due to a postal strike, mail delivery to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner via Canada Post will be delayed for the foreseeable future. Please contact us if you have any questions about delivering communications to the OIPC: 902-424-4684 / Toll Free (In N.S.): 1-866-243-1564.

Please use one of the alternative options below for delivering communications to the OIPC:

a) Fax communications to: (902)424-8303
b) Email communications to: oipcns@novascotia.ca
c) Courier or hand-deliver communications to: 502-5657 Spring Garden Road, Halifax, NS  B3J 3R4 (place in the mail slot outside our office door)
d) Deliver communications to a local Access Nova Scotia office (address the envelope to our office on Spring Garden Road - see above). Find an office using their website: https://novascotia.ca/access-locations/. (Intended for letter-sized mail and paper documents only (the mail must fit in the bin to be accepted).

Please note, entry to our office is by appointment only. We encourage you to communicate with us by phone or email. If you wish to provide us with hard copies of materials, please send them by mail, fax, courier or by dropping them off in the mail slot outside our office door. Our full contact information is available here: Contact Us.


NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
November 13, 2024

Canadian privacy regulators pass resolution to address privacy-related harms resulting from deceptive design patterns

TORONTO, ON, November 13, 2024 - Privacy regulators from across Canada have issued a joint resolution calling for action on the growing use of deceptive design patterns (DDPs) that undermine privacy rights. Passed at their October annual meeting, hosted by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, the resolution outlines key measures for organizations to adopt privacy-first design practices. Read more...


Information and Privacy Commissioner releases Review Report 24-17

The Department of Service Nova Scotia (public body) did not issue a decision to the applicant in response to an access to information request within the legislated time period required by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP). The reason for the delay was that the public body has not signed off on the access to information decision. The applicant appealed to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. The Commissioner finds that the public body is in contravention of s. 7 of FOIPOP and recommends that a decision be issued to the applicant within 14 days of the date of this review report. See more...


 Information and Privacy Commissioner releases Review Report 24-16

The Department of Community Services (public body) did not issue a decision to the applicant in response to an access to information request within the legislated time period required by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP). The cause of the delay was related to the public body’s search actions. The applicant appealed to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. The Commissioner finds that the public body is in contravention of s. 7 of FOIPOP and recommends that a decision be issued to the applicant within 14 days of the date of this review report.

This is the fifth report that the Commissioner has made since August 2023 because the public body has failed to respond to the applicant within the statutory deadline. For this reason, the Commissioner builds upon her recommendation in NS Review Report 24-03 that senior leadership at the public body address this problem by ensuring it has sufficient resources to fulfill its legal obligations under FOIPOP. In this report, the Commissioner elaborates on this by recommending that within one month of the date of this report, the public body hire additional staff and explore any other avenues that could be capitalized on to complete this work. Read more...


Federal, provincial, territorial information and privacy commissioners and ombuds wrap up successful annual meeting

 
TORONTO, ON (October 10, 2024) - Today, federal, provincial, and territorial (FPT) information and privacy commissioners and ombuds concluded two days of productive discussions on privacy and access to information issues across Canada. The annual event, hosted this year by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, was a significant opportunity to address key issues, enhance collaboration among jurisidictions, and reaffirm a shared committment to protecting the access and privacy rights of all Canadians. Read more...

Information and Privacy Commissioner releases Review Report 24-15
 
The applicant made a request to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (public body) for records related to both provincial and individual school assessment results in literacy and math over a five-year period. The applicant also requested a list of which schools the public body deemed as "priority schools", the criteria used to deem a school as "priority" and records showing how funding was allocated to priority schools. The public body applied s. 18(1)(a) (health and safety) and s. 20 (personal information) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to withhold the responsive record in full. The Commissioner finds that s. 18(1)(a) does not apply and so the record cannot be withheld under that section. Regarding s. 20, the Commissioner finds that after balancing all relevant circumstances, disclosure of the withheld record would not be an unreasonable invasion of any third party's privacy. The Commissioner recommends the withheld record be released in full to the applicant. Read more...

Information and Privacy Commissioner releases Review Report 24-14
 
An applicant asked the Department of Justice (public body) for information about adult offenders from the public body's Justice Enterprise Information Network (JEIN). In response, the public body partially disclosed the requested records to the applicant but withheld some of the information in them pursuant to s. 20 (personal information) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP). The Commissioner finds that the information withheld under s. 20 does not qualify as the personal information of an identifiable third party and so recommends its disclosure. Read more...
 

NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release
February 1, 2024
 
Information and Privacy Commissioner publishes submission for the legislative review of Nova Scotia's access and privacy laws

HALIFAX - Information and Privacy Commissioner Tricia Ralph has provided her submission to the internal working group reviewing Nova Scotia's access and privacy laws. Read more...

Legislative Review Submission

Companion Reports:

Department of Justice mandate includes amendment to Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act

Premier Houston's September 14, 2021 mandate letter to the Attorney General and Minister of Justice includes a requirement to amend the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPOP) to give order-making ability to Nova Scotia's Information and Privacy Commissioner:  September 14, 2021 Ministerial Mandate - Department of Justice and Attorney General

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner is willing to provide input and guidance to the government as it moves ahead with this amendment to FOIPOP, or any other important amendments the OIPC has recommended to modernize Nova Scotia's outdated access to information and privacy laws. 


New/Updated Publications Now Available

The OIPC's Role - What the OIPC Can and Cannot Do

Protecting Patient Information in Practice and Beyond

Need-to-Know Instead of Circle of Care

Know Your Rights: Missing Records?

Tips for Addressing Employee Snooping