Ufuk Ari is suing the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) for breached privacy and vulnerability after one of its employees allegedly accessed Ari's personal information.
RCMP officers visited Ari's home in January and questioned him about his whereabouts on particular dates in 2010, including whether he was in New Westminster on or about those dates, he alleged in his notice of civil claim, which was filed July 26.
The police officers said they were investigating a crime but did not say what the crime was or if Ari was a suspect, Ari alleged. They said that if they needed any more information, they would be back, he notes in the statement of claim.
Ari heard nothing more about the investigation or the reasons for the police interrogation until he received a letter from ICBC dated March 31, he alleged.
The letter advised Ari that on June 17, 2010, an ICBC employee viewed Ari's personal information "without an apparent business purpose," he alleged.
The letter went on to advise Ari that ICBC had notified the RCMP of this unauthorized access on January 12 and that the RCMP advised ICBC that this unauthorized access may be related to an ongoing criminal investigation, he alleged.
Ari claims that, in 2010 and 2011, at least 65 individuals, including himself, had their personal information accessed by ICBC employees or agents without a legitimate or authorized purpose. Many of those people, Ari alleges, have been the targets of shootings, arson and other property damage.
He also alleges that ICBC authorized the employee to access personal information when necessary and that this inherently created a risk of unauthorized access to private information.
He alleges that as a result of the unauthorized access to his personal information by ICBC, through one or more of its employees or agents, his privacy was breached. As a result, he alleges he has suffered damages and loss because he had to take reasonable security arrangements against unauthorized access his personal information.
None of the allegations has been proven in court.
