The IPBC Privacy Policy is a statement of principles and policies regarding the protection of personal information provided by IPBC. The objective of the IPBC Privacy Policy is to promote responsible and transparent personal information management practices in a manner consistent with the provisions of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada). IPBC will continue to review the IPBC Privacy Policy to make sure that it is relevant and remains current with changing industry standards, technologies and laws.

Scope and Application

The ten principles that form the basis of the IPBC Privacy Policy are interrelated and IPBC will adhere to the ten principles as a whole. Each principle should be read in conjunction with the accompanying commentary. As permitted by the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (Canada), commentary in the IPBC Privacy Policy has been drafted to reflect personal information issues specific to IPBC.

The scope and application of the IPBC Privacy Policy are as follows:

• The IPBC Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected, used, or disclosed by IPBC in the course of commercial activities.
• The IPBC Privacy Policy applies to the management of personal information in any form whether oral, electronic or written.
• The IPBC Privacy Policy does not impose any limits on the collection, use or disclosure of the following information by IPBC:

1.A corporate member, non-member or employee's name, title, business address, or telephone number;

2. Other information about an individual that is publicly available and is specified by regulation pursuant to the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ((Canada)); or

3. As otherwise exempted by the IPBC Privacy Policy and/or applicable law.

• The IPBC Privacy Policy will not typically apply to information regarding IPBC's corporate members. However, such information may be protected by other IPBC policies and procedures or through contractual arrangements.
• The application of the IPBC Privacy Policy is subject to the requirements and provisions of the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act ((Canada)), the regulations enacted thereunder, and other applicable legislation or regulation.

The IPBC Privacy Policy in Detail

PRINCIPLE 1: Accountability

The Institute of Professional Bookkeepers of Canada is responsible for personal information under its control and will designate one or more persons who are accountable for IPBC's compliance with the following principles.

1.1 Responsibility for compliance with the provisions of the IPBC Privacy Policy rests with the IPBC Privacy Officer who can be reached at Tel: 604-637-9607 or Toll Free 1-866-616-IPBC (4722) or via info@ipbc.ca. Other individuals within IPBC may be delegated to act on behalf of the IPBC Privacy Officer or to take responsibility for the day-to-day collection and/or processing of personal information.

1.2 IPBC will make known, upon request, the title of the person or persons designated to oversee IPBC's compliance with the IPBC Privacy Policy.

1.3 IPBC is responsible for personal information in its possession or control. IPBC will use contractual or other means to provide a comparable level of protection while information is being processed or used by a third party.

1.4 IPBC implements policies and procedures to give effect to the IPBC Privacy Policy, including:

1. Implementing procedures to protect personal information and to oversee the IPBC's compliance with the IPBC Privacy Policy;

2. Implementing procedures to receive and respond to complaints or inquiries;

3. Training employees to understand and follow IPBC's policies and procedures;

4. Developing information materials to explain IPBC's policies and procedures; and

5. Reviewing on an annual basis the effectiveness of the policies and procedures to facilitate compliance with the IPBC Privacy Policy and consideration of any revisions as deemed appropriate.

PRINCIPLE 2: Identifying Purposes for Collection of Personal Information

IPBC will identify the purposes for which personal information is collected at or before the time the information is collected.

2.1 IPBC collects personal information only for the following purposes:

1. To identify individuals;

2. To establish, maintain, communicate and renew membership in the IPBC;

3. To advertise, develop, enhance and provide marketing services and products;

4. To measure and improve the effectiveness of IPBC services, products and marketing endeavors;

5. To manage and develop IPBC's business operations, including personnel and employment matters;

6. To protect IPBC against error and fraud; and

7. To meet legal and regulatory requirements.

Further reference to "identified purposes" mean the purposes identified in this Principle.

2.2 Upon request, persons collecting personal information will explain these identified purposes or refer the individual to a designated person within IPBC who can explain the purposes.

2.3 When personal information that has been collected is to be used or disclosed for a purpose not previously identified, the new purpose will be identified prior to use. Unless otherwise permitted or required by law, the consent of the individual will be acquired before the information will be used or disclosed for the new purpose.

2.4 IPBC will document the purposes for which personal information is collected prior to the information being collected.

2.5 IPBC will make reasonable efforts to ensure that individuals are aware of the purposes for which personal information is collected, including any disclosures to third parties.

PRINCIPLE 3: Obtaining Consent for Collection, Use or Disclosure of Personal Information

The knowledge and consent of an individual are required for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information, except where exempted in the IPBC Privacy Policy and/or applicable law. In certain circumstances personal information can be collected, used, or disclosed without the knowledge and consent of the individual.

3.1 In obtaining consent, IPBC will use reasonable efforts to ensure that, where not obvious, an individual is advised of the purposes for which personal information will be used or disclosed. The identified purposes will be stated in a manner that can be reasonably understood by the individual.

3.2 Generally, IPBC will seek consent to use and disclose personal information at the same time it collects the information. However, IPBC may seek consent to use and/or disclose personal information after it has been collected, but before it is used and/or disclosed for a new purpose.

3.3 IPBC may require individuals to consent to the collection, use and/or disclosure of personal information as a condition of the supply of a product or service only if such collection, use and/or disclosure are required to fulfill the explicitly specified and legitimate identified purposes.

3.4 In determining the appropriate form of consent, IPBC will take into account the sensitivity of the personal information and the reasonable expectations of the individual.

3.5 The purchase or use of products and/or IPBC services by a member or non-member, or the acceptance of employment or benefits by an employee, may constitute implied consent for IPBC to collect, use and disclose personal information for the identified purposes, including communicating with the individual.

3.6 An individual may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal or contractual restrictions, provided that reasonable notice of withdrawal of consent is provided to IPBC and the withdrawal of consent is in writing and includes understanding by the individual that withdrawal of consent could mean that IPBC cannot provide the individual with a related product or service. Individuals may contact IPBC for more information regarding the implications of withdrawing consent.

3.7 IPBC may collect, use or disclose personal information without knowledge or consent if it is clearly in the interests of the individual and consent cannot be obtained in a timely way, such as when the individual is seriously ill or mentally incapacitated.

3.8 IPBC may collect, use or disclose personal information without knowledge or consent if seeking the consent of the individual might defeat the purpose of collecting, using or disclosing the information, such as in the investigation of a breach of an agreement or a contravention of a law.

3.9 IPBC may collect, use or disclose personal information without knowledge or consent in the case of an emergency where the life, health or security of an individual is threatened.

3.10 IPBC may use or disclose personal information without knowledge or consent to a lawyer representing IPBC, to collect a debt, to comply with a subpoena, warrant or other court order, or as may be otherwise required or authorized by law.

PRINCIPLE 4: Limiting Collection of Personal Information

IPBC will limit the collection of personal information to that which is necessary for the purposes identified by IPBC. IPBC will collect personal information by fair and lawful means.

4.1 IPBC collects personal information primarily from members, non-members and employees.

4.2 IPBC may also collect personal information from other sources including credit bureaus, employers or personal references, or other third parties who represent that they have the right to disclose the information.

PRINCIPLE 5: Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention of Personal Information

IPBC will not use or disclose personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, except with the consent of the individual or as required or permitted by law. IPBC will retain personal information only as long as necessary for the fulfillment of those purposes.

5.1 IPBC may disclose an individual's personal information to: a third party who in the reasonable judgment of IPBC is seeking the information as an agent of the individual;

1. a third party involved in supplying the individual with IPBC products or services;

2. a third party engaged by IPBC to perform functions on its behalf;

3. a third party engaged by IPBC for the development, enhancement, marketing or provision of any of IPBC's products or services;

4. a third party engaged by IPBC to collect the member's or non-member's account;

5. a credit reporting agency;

6. a public authority or agent of a public authority if, in the reasonable judgment of IPBC, it appears that there is imminent danger to life or property which could be avoided or minimized by disclosure of the information; or

7. a third party or parties, where the individual consents to such disclosure or disclosure is required or permitted by law.

5.2 In addition to the purposes identified in 5.1 of the IPBC Privacy Policy, IPBC may disclose personal information about an individual who is an employee:

1. for normal personnel and benefits administration, such as the initiation, management or termination of the employment relationship; or

2. in the context of providing references regarding current or former employees in response to requests from prospective employers.

5.3 Only IPBC employees with a business "need-to-know", or whose duties reasonably so require, are granted access to personal information about members and employees.

5.4 IPBC will keep personal information only as long as it remains necessary or relevant for the identified purposes or as required by law. Depending on the circumstances, where personal information has been used to make a decision about an individual, IPBC will retain, for a period of time that is reasonably sufficient to allow for access by the individual, either the actual information or the rationale for making the decision.

5.5 IPBC will maintain reasonable and systematic controls, schedules and practices for information and records retention and destruction that applies to personal information that is no longer necessary or relevant for the identified purposes or required by law to be retained. Such information will be destroyed, erased or made anonymous.

PRINCIPLE 6: Accuracy of Personal Information

Personal information will be as accurate, complete, and up-to-date as is necessary for the purposes for which it is to be used.

6.1 Personal information used by IPBC will be sufficiently accurate, complete, and up-to date to minimize the possibility that inappropriate information may be used to make a decision about an individual.

6.2 IPBC will update personal information about individuals as necessary to fulfill the identified purposes or upon notification by the individual.

PRINCIPLE 7: Security Safeguards

IPBC will protect personal information by security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information.

7.1 IPBC will protect personal information against such risks as loss or theft, unauthorized access, disclosure, copying, use, modification or destruction, through appropriate security measures, regardless of the format in which it is held.

7.2 IPBC will protect personal information disclosed to third parties by contractual or other means to safeguard the confidentiality of the information and the purposes for which it is to be used.

7.3 All IPBC employees with access to personal information will be contractually required to respect the confidentiality of that information.

7.4 The nature of the safeguards will vary depending on the sensitivity, amount, distribution and format of the information, and the method of storage. More sensitive information will be safeguarded by a higher level of protection.

7.5 The methods of protection will include:

1. a. Physical measures, for example, locked filing cabinets and restricted access to offices; b.organizational measures, for example, controlling entry to data centers and limiting access to information on a "need-to-know" basis;

2. technological measurers, for example, the use of passwords and encryption; and

3. investigative measures, in cases where IPBC has reasonable grounds to believe that personal information is being inappropriately collected, used or disclosed.

PRINCIPLE 8: Openness Concerning Policies and Procedures

IPBC will make readily available to individuals specific information about its policies and procedures relating to the management of personal information.

8.1 IPBC will make information about its policies and procedures easy to understand, including:

1. the title and address of the person or persons accountable for IPBC's compliance with the IPBC Privacy Policy and to whom inquiries and/or complaints can be forwarded;

2. the means of gaining access to personal information held by IPBC;

3. a description of the type of personal information held by IPBC, including a general account of its use; and

4. a description of what personal information is made available to third parties.

PRINCIPLE 9: Access to Personal Information

IPBC will inform an individual of the existence, use, and disclosure of his or her personal information upon request and will provide the individual access to that information except where inappropriate. An individual will be able to challenge the accurateness and completeness of the information and have it amended as appropriate.

9.1 Upon request, IPBC will afford individuals a reasonable opportunity to review personal information in the custody of the IPBC. Personal information will be provided in understandable form within a reasonable time, and at minimal or no cost to the individual.

9.2 In certain situations, IPBC may not be able to provide access to all the personal information that it holds about an individual. For example, IPBC may not provide access to information if doing so would likely reveal personal information about a third party, such as another individual, or could reasonably be expected to threaten the life or security of another individual. Also, IPBC may not provide access to information if disclosure would reveal confidential commercial information, if the information is protected by solicitor: client privilege, if the information was generated in the course of a formal dispute resolution process, or if the information was collected in relation to the investigation of a breach of an agreement or a contravention of the laws of (Canada) or a province.

9.3 Upon request, IPBC will provide an account of the use and disclosure of personal information and, where reasonably possible, will state the source of the information. In providing an account of disclosure, IPBC will provide a list of third parties to which it may have disclosed personal information about the individual when it is not possible to provide an actual list.

9.4 In order to safeguard personal information, an individual may be required to provide sufficient identification information to permit IPBC to account for the existence, use and disclosure of personal information and to authorize such access. Any such information will be used only for this purpose.

9.5 IPBC will promptly correct or complete any personal information found to be inaccurate or incomplete. Any unresolved differences as to accuracy or completeness will be noted by IPBC . Where appropriate, the Association will transmit to third parties having access to the personal information in question any amended information or the existence of any unresolved differences.

9.6 Individuals can obtain information or seek access to their personal information by contacting the IPBC Privacy Officer.

PRINCIPLE 10: Challenging Compliance

An individual will be able to address a challenge concerning compliance with the above principles to the designated person or persons accountable for IPBC's compliance with the IPBC Privacy Policy.

10.1 IPBC will maintain procedures for addressing and responding to all inquiries or complaints from individuals regarding the IPBC's handling of personal information.

10.2 IPBC will inform individuals about the existence of these procedures as well as the availability of complaint procedures.

10.3 The person or persons accountable for compliance with the IPBC Privacy Policy may seek external advice where appropriate before providing a final response to individual complaints.

10.4 IPBC will investigate all complaints concerning compliance with the IPBC Privacy Policy. If a complaint is found to be justified, the IPBC will take appropriate measures to resolve the complaint including, if necessary, amending its privacy policies and procedures. An individual will be informed of the outcome of the investigation regarding his or her complaint.

WEBSITE PRIVACY POLICIES

Usage Tracking

Our site may automatically record some general information about your visit which we use for statistical analysis to help make our site more useful to visitors. This information might include the:

• Internet domain for your Internet service provider, such as 'company.com' or 'service.ca' and the IP address of the computer accessing the website, such as 'ppp-55';
• type of browser you are using, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape;
• type of operating system you are using, such as Windows or Macintosh;
• date and time you visit our site and Web pages that you visit on our site, along with the address of the previous website you were visiting, if you linked to us from another website.

Cookies

We also use "cookies" that identify you as a return visitor and which can help us tailor information to suit your individual preferences. A cookie is a piece of data that a website can send to your browser, which may then store the cookie on your hard drive. The goal is to save you time and provide you with a more meaningful visit and to measure website activity. Cookies do not contain any personally identifying information. Many browsers, however, allow you to disable cookie collection if you wish, or inform you when a cookie is being stored on your hard drive.

Online Transactions

We protect the security of your transactions on our website by using SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) Web server certificates that offer secure communications by encrypting all data going to and from the IPBC website. Netbanx is used to process credit card transactions and a security certificate is used to add 128 bit encryption to the site and when transferring credit card details to Netbanx.

External Links

This policy discloses the privacy practices for our website. However, our site contains links to other sites. Once you link to another site, you are subject to the privacy and security policies of the new site. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of all websites you visit.

Additional Information

For more information regarding the IPBC Privacy Policy, please contact IPBC Privacy Officer at
Tel: 604-637-9607 or Toll Free 1-866-616-IPBC (4722)  Access requests, inquiries or complaints should be addressed in writing to: