FIPPA compliance for
British Columbia public bodies
BC's FIPPA governs how ministries, municipalities, school districts, health authorities, universities and other public bodies handle personal information, disclose it outside Canada and answer access requests. Assess your FIPPA obligations in English or French, see your gaps weighted by importance, and know when a breach must be reported to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC). Part of the Professional plan.
Based on your answers, you may need a Privacy Impact Assessment under Law 25 §12.
AI guidance at every step.
As you answer each question, built in AI assistance explains the relevant statutory requirement in plain English, flags your risk level, and suggests remediation steps, so your team learns while they comply.
Request a demoFrom gap to resolved, automatically.
Every identified gap automatically creates a prioritized task with suggested remediation, assigned to the right team member. Track closure rates and demonstrate continuous improvement to your regulator.
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Request a demoFIPPA Assessment
Asks about accountability, identifying purposes, limiting collection, limiting use, disclosure and retention including disclosure outside Canada, accuracy, individual access and safeguards. Each question cites the section it tests and explains why it matters.
Gaps With Citations
Every gap comes with a recommendation and the FIPPA section behind it, weighted by importance, with a readiness card on your dashboard and a PDF report.
Breach Routing
For a BC public body the breach panel identifies the OIPC, the significant harm test under section 36.3 and the timing: notify the individual and the Commissioner in writing, without unreasonable delay.
Access Request Deadlines
Tracks the 30 day deadline, excluding Saturdays and holidays, plus the extension of up to 30 days in the cases section 10 allows. The decision letter names the route to ask the OIPC for a review.
Disclosure Outside Canada
The assessment asks whether your privacy impact assessments cover sensitive personal information stored outside Canada in a new program, project or system, as the section 33.1 regulation requires.
The Right Law for Your Body
A BC organization in the government sector gets BC FIPPA as its home law, not BC PIPA, which covers private businesses.
Frequently asked questions
What is BC FIPPA?
FIPPA is British Columbia's Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. It gives the public a right of access to records held by public bodies and sets rules for how those bodies collect, use, disclose, store and protect personal information. The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC) oversees it.
Who has to comply with BC FIPPA?
BC public bodies, including ministries, municipalities, school districts, health authorities, universities, colleges and Crown corporations. Service providers that handle personal information for a public body also have duties under the Act. Private businesses in BC fall under BC PIPA instead.
When must a BC public body report a privacy breach?
Under section 36.3, a public body must, without unreasonable delay, notify an affected individual and the Commissioner if a privacy breach could reasonably be expected to result in significant harm to the individual, including identity theft or significant bodily harm, humiliation, damage to reputation or relationships, or financial loss. Notices are in writing.
Does BC FIPPA still require data to stay in Canada?
No. The amendments in force November 25, 2021 replaced the old data residency rule. Disclosure outside Canada is now allowed only in accordance with the regulations, and a privacy impact assessment is required for sensitive personal information stored outside Canada.
How long does a BC public body have to answer an access request?
30 days, excluding Saturdays and holidays, with an extension of up to 30 days in the cases section 10 allows. The requester may ask the OIPC for a review within 30 days.
What are the penalties under BC FIPPA?
Offences carry fines of up to $50,000 for an individual or service provider, and up to $500,000 for a corporation.
Is the BC FIPPA assessment on the Free plan?
The Free plan includes one complete assessment of your home law, and BC FIPPA is the home law for a BC public body. The Professional plan includes BC FIPPA along with the other assessments.
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🍁 Canadian data residency · PIPEDA readiness · SOC 2 in progress
