Custodian of Social Insurance Numbers loses list of them
A woman complained to the OPC after an attendance sheet containing her Social Insurance Number (SIN), name, and telephone number, along with those of 31 other employment insurance (EI) claimants, went missing from an HRSDC information session. HRSDC officials notified affected individuals, apologized, and provided information on identity theft protection. The OPC investigated and found that HRSDC had failed to properly safeguard the personal information. The OPC was particularly concerned that the breach involved SINs, which are highly vulnerable to misuse. HRSDC subsequently directed officials to black out SINs on attendance sheets for future sessions.
- 1Whether Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) properly safeguarded personal information, specifically Social Insurance Numbers (SINs), names, and telephone numbers, on an attendance sheet at an employment insurance information session.
- Safeguards: Institution failed to properly safeguard personal information
- Breach involving SINs: OPC concerned about vulnerability of SINs to misuse
- Corrective action: Institution directed officials to black out SINs on future attendance sheets
Complaint well-founded
The OPC found that HRSDC failed to properly safeguard the personal information on the attendance sheet, leading to its loss, which constituted a contravention of the Privacy Act.
HRSDC directed officials to fully black out SINs on attendance sheets before they are used at EI claimant information sessions, a practice expected to be adopted nationally.
This summary is informational only and not legal advice.
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