Information and Privacy Commissioner

Office closure

We are closed on Wednesday, October 22nd for staff training on truth and reconciliation. We will reopen at 8:30am on Thursday, October 23rd.

Protecting privacy and access to information rights 

We investigate public complaints and support public organizations in complying with the law.

The Information and Privacy Commissioner's office investigates complaints made by the public who feel their access to information or their privacy rights have been violated by a public body or custodian.

We also support public bodies or custodians by providing advice, recommendations, and tools to ensure they are upholding Yukon's access and privacy laws: the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act (ATIPPA) and the Health Information Privacy and Management Act (HIPMA).

These Acts establish rules that public bodies (under ATIPPA) and health sector custodians (under HIPMA) must follow to collect, use, disclose, secure and manage personal and health information. The IPC is the oversight body responsible for ensuring these public organizations comply with these laws. The public has the right to access certain records held by public bodies under ATIPPA, and the right to access their own personal health information under HIPMA.

Our services are free and confidential for complainants and public organizations.

Public organizations we oversee

ATIPPA public bodies:

Yukon government departments
Yukon corporations (Yukon Housing, Yukon Hospital, Yukon Energy, Yukon Lottery, Yukon Liquor, Yukon Development, etc.)
Yukon University
Workers' Safety and Compensation Board Yukon
boards, commissions and statutory bodies established as an agent of government

HIPMA custodians:

operators of health care facilities and hospitals
Government of Yukon Department of Health and Social Services
Yukon Child Development Centre
Yukon Health Authority
Natsékhi Kų̀ Health Centre of Kwanlin Dün First Nation
health care providers such as physicians, chiropractors, dentists and related professionals, denturists, optometrists, physiotherapists, psychologists, pharmacists, nurses, naturopaths, audiologists, speech language pathologists, midwives, occupational therapist, and more.

Your Stories

Doing the right thing with a privacy breach

The custodian allegedly disclosed the complainant’s personal health information (PHI) to their emergency contact.

The custodian had investigated the complainant (the parent) due to a reported child protection concern that was quickly determined to be unfounded. They intended to phone the parent to report that the file was now closed but accidentally phoned the parent’s emergency contact who has the same name. When they identified that they were calling from Family and Children’s Services about their child, the emergency contact stated that they did not have a child.