Privacy and security for the Data Innovation Program

1. Safe people

Only authorized individuals can access the data

Only authorized people can access the data. Authorized people are government analysts and government-contracted researchers who:

• Completed an oath of secrecy under the Statistics Act
• Completed privacy training and must pass an exam
• Signs user agreements stipulating terms and conditions of their data access and use

2. Safe projects

Data projects must be in the public interest

Only approved projects can access the data. B.C. will ensure data projects have a public benefit and pose no harm to people or communities. Access will be granted only for projects that meet the following criteria:

• Have a clear public benefit to people
• Have a valid statistical purpose
• Demonstrate sound study design and methodology

3. Safe data

De-identified Data

Within the Data Innovation Program, only de-identified data is available. De-identified data is a powerful resource for research projects. It can lead to analytical insights while maintaining individual privacy and confidentiality.

This means: : personal identifiers such as names, driver licence numbers and personal health numbers are removed. All data is protected and subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. Analysts never see data that identifies people or data that can be used to target people

4. Safe setting

Using the right technology to integrate data safely  

Data can only be accessed in a secure setting under government’s care and control. The Data Innovation Program uses a secure research environment located in B.C. that:

• Has physical, policy and technological controls to safeguard information
• Has regular third-party privacy and security audits
• Is managed in partnership by Population Data BC, an academic organization with a 20-year track record of secure data handling, linkage and storage

5. Safe outputs

Additional protection of privacy in research outputs

The Data Innovation Program takes measures to ensure a project’s research results are anonymous. This is an extra layer of protection in the unlikely event that integrating data sets somehow creates a composite of an identifiable person. The program sets clear obligations under the terms and conditions for access and ensures results are anonymous.