A privacy breach at the City of Nanaimo is under investigation by the Office of the Privacy and Information Commissioner for B.C.
The office confirmed today it’s been notified a privacy breach has occurred and it’s currently investigating. It also said the commissioner cannot comment about an active investigation.
The city made the report to the office this week, after an e-mail from Mayor Bill McKay to a facilitator with the Integrity Group was publicly released. It contained the mayor’s opinions on the personalities and behaviors of councillors, as well as hoped for outcomes for the facilitation process.
The document was handed to council members at an open meeting Monday by a Nanaimo resident, who claimed it was left in an envelope under his truck windshield wiper. It’s since been posted online and sent to media.
According to a spokesperson with the office of the privacy and information commissioner, in most cases when a privacy breach is reported, the office works with the organization because its goal is to prevent future breaches and to make sure it's handled appropriately. Steps include helping the organization on how to contain the breach, like around stopping the unauthorized practice and recovering records, evaluating the risks, notification and prevention. In some cases, if it’s a severe situation the commissioner can initiate a more thorough investigation, which would be announced by the office.