Privacy Policy

The OIPC uses Piwik, a third party service to analyze non-identifiable web traffic data, to effectively manage content based on visitor preferences. For more information on Piwik's privacy settings visit www.piwik.org/privacy.

The data is stored on a secure web server hosted by a third party web service provider located in Canada. The collected data will not be shared with any other party for any other purpose.

The OIPC may collect the following information to assist in improving the website:

• The pages accessed on the site and links clicked on
• The date and time of site visits, but the OIPC does not have live tracking of website visitors
• The referring site, if any, through which you arrived at this site
• Your operating system (e.g. Windows XP, Mac OS X)
• The type of web browser you use (e.g. Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, etc.)

IP addresses are at all times anonymized. The OIPC's web analytics will also respect any "Do Not Track" settings on web browsers.

The OIPC website may use session cookies which are stored in temporary memory and are not retained after you close the browser session.

The OIPC has also provided a web analytics “opt-out” option for visitors to the site.

Although the OIPC makes every effort to ensure that all information posted on the website is accurate and complete, accuracy cannot be guaranteed. If there is any discrepancy between the information posted on the website and original paper versions, the original paper document is authoritative. 

This website contains links to other sites. The OIPC is not responsible for the content and privacy policies of other websites, and encourage you to examine each website's privacy policy and disclaimers and make your own decisions regarding the accuracy, reliability and correctness of material and information found there. 

For more information on the privacy policy or website, please contact the office. 

Social Media

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) of Alberta uses social media to reach online audiences and participate in a conversation about access and privacy issues.

The OIPC is currently using Twitter. Our Twitter account (@ABoipc) is managed by OIPC communications staff on weekdays during regular office hours (8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).  We may monitor or respond from time to time outside of regular office hours.

If you follow us, you can expect our tweets to feature information about our office, issues related to access and privacy, information about upcoming events, and links to news releases, speeches, resources, and publications issued by our office and others.

We retweet news, links, and content we think are relevant to our work and of interest to our followers.  Retweets do not imply endorsement by the OIPC.

When we provide links to external sites, they are provided solely for the convenience and interest of the user. The OIPC is not responsible for the accuracy of the information contained on these sites, nor does it endorse the sites or their content.

We follow Twitter accounts that are relevant to our work and our mandate, particularly those involved in access to information and protection of privacy advocacy and research.  This could include the Twitter accounts of individuals as well as organizations, both public and private.  Our decision to follow a particular Twitter user does not imply an endorsement of any kind and does not mean that the OIPC supports that user, or his or her views.

We welcome and encourage your comments, and expect that the conversation will be carried out in a respectful manner.  Please avoid personal attacks and keep your comments relevant. The OIPC does not tolerate offensive, disrespectful or abusive comments about an individual or organization. We will read all replies and direct messages sent to us and, when possible, will reply.

Those who choose to engage in a conversation with the OIPC via social media should be aware that they do so within the public domain. To protect your privacy and that of others, the OIPC recommends that you not include personal information in your posts.

Some OIPC staff tweet under their own names as private citizens. Despite their professional affiliation with the OIPC, their tweets or retweets do not represent the official position of the OIPC.

Personal information that you provide to the OIPC through social media is collected, used and disclosed by the OIPC for its mandated purpose: to oversee and enforce the administration of Alberta’s access and privacy legislation (the FOIP Act, PIPA, and HIA) and to educate the public about, and comment on, the Acts and access and privacy issues in general.

Twitter accounts are hosted by a third party service provider and are not on OIPC servers. You should read Twitter’s terms of service and privacy policy before engaging in its use.

If you have any questions or comments about our use of social media, please contact the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner by email or toll free: 1-888-878-4044.

Requests for Reviews and Complaints

The Information and Privacy Commissioner is an Officer of the Legislature who works independently of government to protect the access and privacy rights of all Albertans. Through the OIPC, the Commissioner performs the legislative and regulatory responsibilities set out in Alberta’s three access and privacy Acts, theFreedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (the FOIP Act), Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), and Health Information Act (HIA).  Individuals may ask the Commissioner to review responses to their access/correction requests or file a complaint if they believe their personal/health information has been collected, used or disclosed in contravention of the Acts.

We do not accept FOIP, HIA, or PIPA requests for review or complaints via social media.  Requests for review and complaints must be submitted to our office on the required forms (available on our website) by mail or fax.

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta acknowledges the support of the Office of the Information Commissioner of Canada, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of British Columbia, and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario in the development of this policy.