Provincial health orders, guidance and physical distancing
measures in response to COVID-19 have changed the way Canadians are
working and studying. Organizations are suddenly more reliant on
technical tools and approaches to doing business which have not all
been fully vetted for privacy and security.
Over the past few weeks, Canadian privacy commissioners have
made several announcements and have published guidance documents to
help Canadians understand their privacy rights and obligations in
light of COVID-19. We have outlined below the recent guidance from
B.C. and across Canada.
B.C. Guidance for Online Tools
The transition to a remote workplace and classroom has resulted
in an increased reliance on tools such as videoconferencing
software to help individuals remain connected to their colleagues,
patients, customers, teachers and others. On March 26, 2020, the
B.C. government issued a ministerial order temporarily exempting
public bodies from the "in Canada
