PIPA

Questions & Answers

Questions about private sector privacy legislation in Alberta?

Please contact our staff at the Information and Privacy Commissioner’s Office in Calgary:

E-mail

Mail:

Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner
AMEC Place
2460-801 – 6th Avenue SW
Calgary, Alberta
T2P 3W2

(Please note that it is not possible to access our Calgary office without an appointment)

Telephone: (403) 297-2728
Fax: (403) 297-2711
Toll-Free: 1-888-878-4044
Hours of operation: Weekdays, 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)

In addition to the questions listed below, the Access and Privacy branch of Service Alberta has prepared a series of Frequently Asked Questions and other resources to inform private-sector organizations about the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA).

Are neighbors allowed to video tape what is going on in our back yard without our permission?

Are retailers and credit card processing companies required to obscure a portion of an individual's credit card?

Can a company monitor or trace computer email to and from an employee, or monitor or track phone traffic to and from an employee without their knowledge?

Can a retail business withhold services if a customer chooses not to provide personal information to the retail business?

Can health information be shared between the union and human resource department under a duty to accommodate? Can my employer share my general health information with my union as a duty to assist in resolving disputes?

Can I interpret that community groups holding a draw at a display table for a door prize during a trade show, would not be considered a commercial activity and therefore doesn't fall under this new ac

Can you give me some guidelines on how organizations should proceed relative to providing references? What to say & what not to say; consent etc..

Do churches come under PIPA?

Do files that contain personal information need to be shredded or can an organization simply throw them away?

Does a non-profit organization, selling tickets to an event, need to request permission from the patron at the time of sale in order to contact that patron at a later date with information about other events?

Does PIPA apply to former employers and if so for how long after the employment was terminated?

Does PIPA cover the interview process for a position in a non-profit organisation? What information, if any, has to be disclosed to the applicant?

Does PIPA make it mandatory that employee personnel files be locked up?

Does privacy legislation apply to Facebook?

Has PIPA been declared substantially similar to the Federal PIPEDA?

How does PIPA affect non-profit organizations with respect to collecting information for golf-tournaments and other fundraising activities?

How does PIPA affect the information that an employer can give to a collection agency calling for information about an employee? What information can I give and what kind of consent does employee have to give?

How does PIPA apply to employment applications? Does a company have to put a privacy disclaimer on an employment application?

I live in a condominium complex. Is our condominium association governed by PIPA?

If a vehicle dealership asks for drivers license information, are they not obligated to ask for written consent to photocopy the physical identification?

Is Alberta's PIPA different from private sector privacy laws in other provinces?

Is there anything in the PIPA relating to the searching of an employee's personal effects, such as backpacks or purses? And if so, is this allowed?

What are the rules relating to an employer implementing a video surveillance system in the workplace?

When I come back from an illness of 3 days or less (with or without a doctor's note), do I have to sign a form saying that yes indeed I was sick and specify the nature or symptoms of the illness?