2014 BC Information Summit

UBC Robson Square Theatre, Vancouver
Friday, September 19, 2014

The pace of change in both the freedom of information and privacy spheres keeps picking up, and won’t be slowing any time soon.

A lot has happened since our last Information Summit, including:

• Open data systems have made large strides in the amount of data being made available, but questions are being asked about whether this data is primarily aimed at spurring innovation in the private sector rather than transparency in the public sector.
• A major Supreme Court of Canada decision on freedom of information expanding the use of the ‘policy advice’ exception.
• Thanks in large part to whistleblowers like Edward Snowden, we know a lot more about the massive electronic surveillance systems being run at our expense by the national security agencies in this country and elsewhere.
• Whistleblowers have provided important information to citizens about various questionable government activities, and most have paid a heavy price for their actions.
• Government information sharing, data mining and identity management systems that were in the planning stages, like Integrated Case Management and the BC Services Card, are now up and running.

Information Summit 2014 features a roster of experts and people intimately involved in how the world of information is changing. It will also help to map out where we can expect to be in the not too distant future.

Will Open Data achieve its promise? Can we find the efficiencies in government operations promised by new technology while still protecting privacy? What can be done to ensure that citizens are able to get vital information from government and other public bodies?

This year’s Information Summit will provide a unique opportunity to have this discussion with those who have been tackling these challenges head-on. We’ll hear about what works, what to avoid, and what practical steps can be taken in this current climate to promote access, and protect privacy.

You won’t want to miss this vital and engaging discussion.