Personal Information Protection Act (British Columbia)
Every organization in B.C., apart from listed exclusions such as matters covered by the federal Act or public bodies' information under B.C.'s freedom of information law.
This is general information, not legal advice.
Status: In force; the official consolidation opened states it is current to November 3, 2026.
What to check
- Get consent before collecting, using or disclosing personal information unless the Act deems consent or authorizes the activity, and do not obtain it through misleading practices. Source
- Tell people your purposes before collecting their information, and limit collection, use and disclosure to what a reasonable person would consider appropriate. Source
- Name someone responsible for compliance, publish their contact details, and have policies and a complaint process available on request. Source
- Make reasonable efforts to keep information accurate and complete when it will likely be used for a decision about the person, and keep that information at least one year after the decision. Source
- Make reasonable security arrangements; B.C.'s Commissioner said in 2018 guidance that the Act has no express breach reporting duty but that notifying people may be needed to meet the security duty. Source
Penalties
Offences carry fines of up to $10,000 for individuals and up to $100,000 for other persons (section 56).