B.C. Privacy commissioner investigates Crime Stoppers data security

The investigation will assess whether the organization fulfilled its obligations under the Personal Information Protection Act to adequately protect personal data.

An investigation by CBC News last month revealed that over 1.5 million tips submitted to Canadian Crime Stoppers programs over the past 25 years were exposed.

The hacktivist group Internet Yiff Machine claimed responsibility for the breach, which occurred in March. They stated their intention was to challenge assertions made by P3 Global Intel, the company managing the Crime Stoppers platform, regarding its anonymity and security.

Crime Stoppers is a network of civilian-run organizations that collect anonymous tips related to crime and suspicious activity, operating independently of law enforcement but sharing information with them.

The organization frequently collaborates with police to solicit public assistance in investigations, emphasizing anonymity for those providing information.

Many of the compromised tips involved serious allegations, with some individuals expressing fears of potential repercussions for reporting information.

Approximately one-third of the tips concerned drugs and drug trafficking, while hundreds detailed suspicious neighborhood activity, frequently identifying individuals and linking them to organized crime groups such as the Hells Angels, Rock Machine, Outlaws, Red Scorpions, and Independent Soldiers.

Several Canadian police agencies and Crime Stoppers chapters have temporarily halted operations or tip submissions in response to the breach.

Metro Vancouver Crime Stoppers has temporarily suspended its program, advising individuals not to submit information until it is deemed safe to do so, directing them to contact local police departments instead.

B.C. Crime Stoppers operates 15 volunteer-driven chapters throughout the province.

The OIPC advises individuals concerned about potential data compromise not to file individual complaints, given the sensitivity of the information involved.

The privacy commissioner’s office will not release further details while the investigation is ongoing. The federal privacy commissioner has also launched an investigation into the incident.