Investigation Report 98-IR-004: Summary
INVESTIGATION REPORT: 98-IR-004
DATE: Submitted September 18, 1998; signed by Commissioner October 26, 1998
PUBLIC BODY: Alberta Health
FOIP COMPLAINT: The complainant believed that Alberta Health had violated the privacy provisions of the FOIP Act by disclosing the complainant's income tax assessment to a collection agency without the complainant's consent. The complainant asked the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner to investigate the matter.
ISSUES: The complainant believed that the facts supported the conclusion that Alberta Health had disclosed personal information in contravention of the Act. The Portfolio Officer also considered the terms of the information-sharing agreement between Alberta Health and the collection agency, Equifax.
DECISION AND RECOMMENDATIONS:
- The Portfolio Officer determined that Alberta Health had not contravened the privacy provisions of the Act. The income tax information referred to by the complainant was provided to the collection agency by an accountant acting on behalf of the complainant and not by Alberta Health.
- The Portfolio Officer assigned to this investigation noted that the terms of the information-sharing agreement between Alberta Health and Equifax indicated that Alberta Health did not provide Equifax with income tax information. The agreement did provide some protection of privacy, and policies and procedures were in place to support privacy protection.
The Portfolio Officer recommended that no further action be taken.
SECTOR: Government - Departments
