Alberta privacy commissioner investigates publication of provincial voter list
Alberta's Information and Privacy Commissioner, Diane McLeod, has opened an investigation into Centurion Project Ltd. over allegations that it collected, used and disclosed personal information taken from the province's list of electors, her office announced on May 7.
The case exposes a gap in Alberta privacy law. Political parties are not covered by the province's Personal Information Protection Act, so the commissioner has no authority over how a party handles voter data, even when that data ends up published online.
What happened
On April 30, Elections Alberta told the commissioner's office about a potential breach. A group calling itself the Centurion Project had reportedly published personal information about roughly 2.9 million Albertans, including home locations and, for some people, phone numbers, according to a statement from the commissioner. The data appeared to come from the list of electors kept by the chief electoral officer, possibly through a political party with legitimate access to it.
Elections Alberta said more than 550 people had accessed the database, The Canadian Press reported.
The investigation
McLeod initially said the matter might fall outside her jurisdiction. After further review, she opened an own-motion investigation. The Centurion Project was notified on May 6. "I have decided to exercise my authority to investigate these allegations," McLeod said in the notice of investigation.
The investigation will look at whether the group had authority to collect, use and disclose the information, whether it made reasonable security arrangements, and whether it met its duty to notify affected people. It could end with findings and recommendations, an order to fix any non-compliance, or a public report.
Calls for reform
McLeod called the episode evidence of a concerning gap in Alberta's privacy laws and said it is "high time" for political parties to be made subject to the provincial act. British Columbia's comparable law already covers parties. Elections Alberta and the RCMP have also been reported to be investigating the leak.
What to do
- Albertans should expect more targeted phishing, scam calls and door-to-door approaches that use accurate address details.
- Be wary of unsolicited contacts that cite your voter information, and do not share further personal details.
- Questions can go to the commissioner's office, which published a set of frequently asked questions on the breach.
