BCeID's Privacy Policy

BCeID is committed to providing its customers with exceptional service. As providing this service involves the collection, use and disclosure of some personal information about its customers, protecting personal information is one of BCeID's highest priorities.

BCeID will inform its customers of why and how it collects, uses and discloses their personal information, obtain their consent where required, and protect their personal information through responsible information management practices. Any personal information provided to BCeID is collected, used and disclosed in accordance with the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or other applicable legislation.

This Privacy Policy outlines the principles and practices BCeID will follow in protecting customers' personal information. Our privacy commitment includes ensuring the accuracy, confidentiality, and security of our customers' personal information and allowing our customers to request access to, and correction of, their personal information.

Scope of this Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to BCeID and to any service providers collecting, using or disclosing personal information on behalf of BCeID.

Links to Other Sites

Customers should be aware that BCeID's web site includes links to web sites operated by other government agencies. When a customer links to another site, this privacy policy will not apply, however, you may be subject to the privacy policy of that new site, if one exists. BCeID is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of external websites.

What is Personal Information?

Personal Information is recorded information about an identifiable individual. Personal information includes such things as an individual's name, birth date, home address, personal email address and home telephone number.

Personal information does not include business contact information (described below).

Business contact information is information that would enable an individual to be contacted at a place of business (including a home-based business). Business contact information includes a business person's name, position name or title, business telephone number, business address, business email and business fax number.

Business contact information is not personal information and is, therefore, not covered by this policy or by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

1. Policy 1 – Collecting Personal Information

   1. BCeID will communicate to customers the purposes for which personal information is being collected and its legal authority for collecting personal information either orally, in writing or by electronic notice before or at the time of collection.
   2. BCeID will also provide customers with the title, business address and business telephone number of an officer or employee of BCeID who can answer the customer's questions about the collection of personal information.
   3. BCeID will only collect that personal information that it has the legal authority to collect. BCeID's legal authority for collecting personal information is Section 26 (c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act which permits a public body program to collect personal information where that information relates directly to, and is necessary for, the operation of the program.
   4. BCeID will only collect customer personal information that is necessary to fulfill the following purposes:
      • To verify a customer's identity;
      • To establish and maintain a BCeID account;
      • To issue a customer a unique electronic identifier that the customer can use to securely access government e-services;
      • To provide customer assistance in registering for, or using, a BCeID account;
      • To contact customers about account administration matters like renewing an account or changes to accounts, and to check on unusual account activity; and,
      • To investigate, where warranted, suspected identity fraud, misuse of the BCeID Terms of Use, or unusual account activity.
   5. BCeID will not collect personal information about a customer unless the customer voluntarily provides it in order to register for a BCeID for the purpose of accessing government services online. If a customer chooses not to provide the information required to register for a BCeID, the customer may not be able to access certain Online Services but should still be able to access government services by traditional methods such as personal contact, fax or mail. A customer's decision not to register for a BCeID and participate in electronic service delivery activities will not impair the customer's ability to browse the web site, read or download any information provided on the site.

2. Policy 2 – Using and Disclosing Personal Information

   1. BCeID will only use or disclose customer personal information where necessary to fulfill the purposes identified at the time of collection (see Policy 1.4) or for a use that is consistent with (i.e., reasonably related to) those purposes.
   2. For verification purposes, BCeID will only provide a customer's unique identity information (name, date of birth, address) to a government e-service that is enrolled in the BCeID service and to which the BCeID customer has subscribed or is in the process of subscribing.
   3. BCeID will not use or disclose customer personal information for any additional purpose unless we obtain customer consent to do so or that purpose is expressly authorized by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.

3. Policy 3 – Retaining Personal Information

   1. If BCeID uses customer personal information to make a decision that directly affects the customer, BCeID will retain that personal information for at least one year so that the customer has a reasonable opportunity to request access to it.
   2. Subject to policy 3.1, BCeID will retain customer personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the identified purposes (e.g., for as long as the customer wishes to have a BCeID account) or a necessary legal or business purpose.
   3. Information collected or created by BCeID will be maintained in accordance with government's records retention schedules and other legislative requirements.

4. Policy 4 – Ensuring Accuracy of Personal Information

   1. BCeID will make every reasonable effort to ensure that customer personal information is accurate and complete where it may be used to make a decision about the customer or disclosed to a BCeID enrolled e-service to which the customer is subscribing or has subscribed.
   2. BCeID will permit customers to maintain (i.e., access and make changes to) their own contact information by utilizing BCeID's online Profile Management tools.
   3. Customers may view, but may not maintain, their own key identity information. To change a key identity attribute (for example, in the event of a legal change of name), BCeID will require customers to provide evidence of the attribute change (e.g., marriage, change of name certificate) to a BCeID authorized agent who will verify and approve the change.
   4. It is unlikely that BCeID would hold additional personal information about a customer, beyond that stated in policy 4.2 and 4.3. In the unlikely event that additional personal information has been collected (where unusual account activity is detected, for example) and the customer believes that personal information to be inaccurate or incomplete, the customer may request that a correction or annotation be made to the personal information.
   5. A request to correct personal information may be made in writing under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to the Information Management Branch at the Ministry of Finance. The written request must provide sufficient detail to identify the personal information and the correction being sought.
   6. If the personal information is demonstrated to be inaccurate or incomplete, BCeID will correct or annotate the information as required. In the unlikely event, that BCeID had disclosed the personal information in question to any other public body or third party in the previous year, BCeID will also send the corrected information to that public body or third party.
   7. If the correction to the personal information is not made, BCeID will make a note of the customer's correction request.

5. Policy 5 – Securing Personal Information

   1. BCeID is committed to ensuring the security of customer personal information and will make reasonable security arrangements to protect personal information from unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification or disposal or similar risks.
   2. BCeID will utilize a combination of physical, technological and organizational security measures to ensure that customer personal information is appropriately protected. The following measures are examples of the type of security measure that have been integrated into the design, implementation and day-to-day operating practices of BCeID:
      • Physical security measures such as limiting storage of any personal information in paper form and restricted access to offices where personal information is held, whether in electronic or paper form;
      • Technological security measures such as a secure logon process (i.e., through user IDs and passwords) which includes an automatic log out after 10 minutes of inactivity, audit trails, strong encryption technology, and firewalls;
      • Organizational security measures such as restricting access to personal information to only those authorized personnel that have a need to access the information, and ensuring that all personnel accessing personal information have signed a confidentiality agreement and are aware of and agree to be bound by this Privacy Policy.
   3. BCeID will use appropriate security measures when destroying customers' personal information once BCeID no longer has a business or legal need to keep that information in accordance with government's records retention schedules and other legislative requirements. Appropriate security measures include shredding documents that contain personal information and deleting electronically stored personal information.
   4. BCeID will continually review and update its security policies and controls as technology changes to ensure ongoing personal information security.

6. Policy 6 – Providing Customers Access to Personal Information

   1. Customers have a right to access their personal information, subject to limited exceptions.
   2. A customer can access their own key identity information and contact information by utilizing BCeID's online Profile Management tools.
   3. It is unlikely that BCeID would hold additional personal information about a customer, beyond that stated in policy 6.2. In the unlikely event that additional personal information has been collected (where unusual account activity is detected, for example) a request to review that information may be made in writing under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to the Information Management Branch at the Ministry of Finance.
   4. It is unlikely that BCeID would hold additional personal information about a customer, beyond that stated in policy 6.2. In the unlikely event that additional personal information has been collected (where unusual account activity is detected, for example) a request to review that information may be made in writing under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act to the Information Management Branch at the Ministry of Finance.
   5. All written requests for access to personal information will be responded to within 30 business days, unless grounds exist to extend that time period. Where grounds exist to extend the time period for responding, the customer will receive a written notice of the extension and the reasons for the extension.
   6. If a request for access to personal information is refused in full or in part, the customer will be notified in writing. The written response will provide the reasons for the refusal and the recourse that is available to the customer.

Who to Contact for More Information About this Privacy Policy

Please direct questions or concerns about government services, such as, MSP, Court Services Online, Revenue Services of BC, etc. to the ministry or organization that provides the service.

Please direct questions or concerns about BCeID's Privacy Policy or about the collection, use, security or disclosure of your personal information to the Manager, Service Delivery:

Mailing Address:
BCeID
PO Box 9412, Stn Prov Govt
Victoria, BC V8W 9V1

Phone:
Help Desk