Editor:
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act Section 30 states… “A public body must protect personal information in its custody or under its control by making reasonable security arrangements against such risks as unauthorized collection, use, disclosure or disposal.”
Reading the recent ruling from the Privacy Commission states that the Town of Gibsons has the duty to prepare and publish an agenda for all meetings.
The recent ruling from the Privacy Commission also states that the Town of Gibsons staff decides what information submitted should form part of an agenda including scanning an unredacted copy of a paper petition and posting the 85 names, addresses and signatories on their website as long as it forms part of the agenda.
In this digital age where criminals are employing bots to scan the trillions of bytes a responsible person should ask, “Is posting an unredacted copy making reasonable security arrangements against such risks as unauthorized collection, use, disclosure or disposal?”
The point being that it is not necessary to post an unredacted copy on the web. The ruling from the Privacy Commission does not provide guidance whether it was necessary nor does it relate to protecting or enhance privacy rather simply upholds the right of the town to produce an agenda regardless of its contents and or method of distribution.
In this digital age we need to be protecting private information where ever possible.
Mark Evans, Gibsons
