COPE 378 members

cope 378 political actionRespect for privacy goes southby David Black,Chair of COPE 378 Political ActionCommitteeWeeks after filing privacy complaintsinto the security breach and thestorage of employee data, COPE 378learned storage of BC Hydro data outsideof Canada is not uncommon at Hydro’s privatizedarm, Accenture Business Services.The privacy violation involves the transferof data from the data bases Accenturecontrols on behalf of BC Hydro.The increased awareness about privacylegislation led Accenture employeesto sound the alarm about requests askingthem to send BC Hydro data bases outsideof Canada. The union reports membershave stopped information from leavingthe country on several occasions.Other privacy concerns have COPEmembers speaking to Employee HelpDesks in India and confirming that theforeign Accenture offices have personal informationincluding SIN numbers storedin their computers.COPE 378 has actively pursuedprivacy complaints and BC Hydro madean apparent, unsuccessful attempt to getAccenture to halt its outside of Canadastorage practices.The union intensified its efforts inMay with the imminent passage of Bill30, a Miscellaneous Statutes Bill that containedamendments to the Privacy Act allowingthe temporary storage of data outsideCanada (the practice was outlawed in2004 over concerns about the far-reachingUSA Patriot Act).The passage of the Bill was opposedby the NDP, but as of June 1, 2006, theBC government and its suppliers can, onceagain, store data outside Canada. Proponentsof the change naively claim that storageis only allowed under narrow terms.However, there is no ability to track thedata and there is no mechanism in placeto ensure any level of accountability. Theconcern is even greater when the data isone step removed from government, as isthe case with Accenture and other outsourcingcompanies.COPE 378 has joined with otherconcerned groups to speak out about thethreat of storing data outside of Canada—for any reason. The groups COPE has beenworking with include the BC Governmentand Service Employees Union, the BCFederation of Labour, the BC Freedom ofInformation and Privacy Association andthe BC Civil Liberties Association.Please see page 22 ofLocal Voice for more onemployee privacy.The issue of employee privacyexploded at BC Hydro andAccenture in March with the theftof 5,000 personal records. Therecords were allegedly left on alaptop computer at AccentureBusiness Services and containedpayroll and personal data of BCHydro and Accenture Employees.Many of the union’s questionsremain outstanding including whythe records were left vulnerableto theft. The security breach isbefore BC’s Privacy Commissioneralong with broader privacyissues concerning the storage ofdata outside of Canada.cope 378 Local Voice SUMMER 2006 Page 17