Personal Information Protection Amendment Act 2023

What this bill does

This bill updates Bermuda's privacy laws to create a clearer division between two systems: one for requesting your own personal information (under PIPA) and another for requesting general government information (under PATI). It also gives the Privacy Commissioner more flexibility in operations and fees.

If passed (voted YES)

• Citizens wanting their own personal information from government will use the Privacy Commissioner system instead of the Public Access to Information system
• The Privacy Commissioner can charge reasonable fees for services and will have more time (6 months instead of 3) to prepare annual reports
• Government agencies must redirect people to the correct system within 5 working days if they make requests under the wrong law

If rejected (voted NO)

• The current confusing overlap between the two information request systems continues
• Citizens may still face delays and confusion about which system to use when requesting their personal information
• The Privacy Commissioner continues operating under the current more restrictive rules and shorter reporting deadlines

Who it affects

This primarily affects Bermuda residents who request personal information from government agencies, as well as the Privacy Commissioner's office and all government departments that handle information requests.