Alberta’s privacy watchdog is calling for law changes in light of claims that a separatist group obtained and illegally used the province’s official voter list.
Elections Alberta has said it’s investigating the group, called the Centurion Project, for publishing an app that made public the names and addresses of nearly three million Albertans.
Such voter lists are only distributed by Elections Alberta to elected officials, political parties and party officials.
The app was taken down following a court order this week, but Elections Alberta and RCMP are probing how the group obtained the list.
Alberta’s privacy commissioner, Diane McLeod, says it’s possible her office doesn’t have jurisdiction over the privacy breach as political parties aren’t currently covered under the province’s main personal information privacy law.
McLeod says British Columbia’s laws cover political parties, and the seriousness of the case at hand means Premier Danielle Smith’s government needs to address the gap as well.
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“This incident demonstrates that it is high time for political parties to be made subject to (the Personal Information and Privacy Act),” McLeod said in a statement.
“What happened here is very serious.”
Justice Minister Mickey Amery’s office wasn’t immediately able to respond to questions about McLeod’s call.
The Centurion Project says it will be complying with Elections Alberta’s investigation. The group’s leader, David Parker, has said its goal was to identify and recruit supporters of Alberta’s separatist movement ahead of a possible referendum this fall.
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