Are security records considered personal or private information?

Yes, security records are considered to be personal/private information. The Personal Information Protection Act (“PIPA”) defines personal information as “information about about an identifiable individual”, including employee information. Note that a person’s contact details are not considered personal information.

Therefore, any fob security records or video footage that identifies a person is considered personal information and is covered by British Columbia’s privacy legislation.

Oscar’s Commentary

Strata corporations handle a significant amount of personal information every day. While the Strata Property Act authorizes strata corporations to collect certain types of information, modern security and video surveillance systems capture large amounts of personal information that expose a strata corporation to liability and obligations under the Personal Information Protection Act.

Every strata corporation should review its privacy procedures and work together as a community to establish and implement a privacy policy to ensure the private information is handles in accordance with PIPA and community expectations.