BC Hydro smart meter installs violating privacy: report

BC Hydro failed tonotify customers who receivednew smart metersabouthow their personal information was being collected andused, B.C.'s privacy watchdog said Monday.

Elizabeth Denham, B.C.'s Information and Privacy Commissioner, released a report assessing the privacy and security of BC Hydro's smart meterprogram, statingthe Crown corporation is not fully in compliance with theFreedom of Information and Protectionof Privacy Act.

"BC Hydro is required by law to tell their customers the purpose for collecting personal information for the smart meters project, what legal authority they have to do so and to provide contact information for a BC Hydro employee who can answer any questions that arise regarding collection," Denham said.

'There are areas for improvement.' Elizabeth Denham, B.C.'s Information and Privacy Commissioner

"Hydro is not currently meeting this requirement, and we've made some recommendations to help them improve their customer notification."

Denhamlaunched the investigation into the smart meter program in Julyafter receivingsome of 600 complaintsand correspondences from the publicabout BC Hydro's plan to replace 1.8 millionolder meters with so-called smart meters.

Hacking concerns

The smart meters measure residents' power consumption by the hour,and then use wireless signals torelay that information back to BC Hydro.

BC Hydro has said the new technology will make the province's energy grid more efficient, sustainable and better able to respond to outages. BC Hydroalsosaid energy consumption data, which would be transmitted wirelessly, would beencrypted and remain both secure and private.

But critics of the program areconcerned that smart meters could be hacked togive away information that could pose a personal security risk,like indicatingwhenresidents are home and when houses are empty.

Denham said that hourly power use updates would reveal patterns of household consumption and information about customers' daily lives, butsaid BC Hydro is taking adequate measures to safeguard this information.

Denhamfound BC Hydro is in compliance with the Freedom of Information and Protection and Privacy Act when it comes to thecollection, use, disclosure, protection and retention of the personal information of its customers.

"It is clear from my investigation that BC Hydro is taking privacy and security seriously as it develops a framework for the implementation of smart meters and a smart grid,"Denham said. "But there are areas for improvement."

Denham's report makes 14 recommendations for BC Hydro to improveprivacy and security practices. She said BC Hydro has committed to create plans to address these recommendations.