Protecting your information: Updating our privacy notification
At AFSC, protecting your privacy is more than a legal obligation—it’s a core part of how we serve you.
As part of that commitment, we’ve updated our Privacy Collection Notification to reflect Alberta’s new privacy legislation and to ensure transparency in how we collect and use your information, especially when automated systems help us deliver faster, more efficient service. You can view the full statement below or on any updated AFSC form.
AFSC Privacy Collection Notification
AFSC collects information for the purpose of operation and administration of our programs and services. Any information you provide to us related to this purpose, whether personal information or business information, (the “Collected Information”) is collected under the authority of the Protection of Privacy Act (Alberta) under section 4(c). AFSC may use the Collected Information in automated systems to generate content and to make decisions, recommendations and predictions.
If you have any questions about this notification, or about the collection and use of your information, please contact AFSC by mail at 5718 – 56 Avenue, Lacombe AB T4L 1B1, 1.877.899.2372, or privacy@afsc.ca.
Even though updating all forms is a gradual process, we felt it was important to share this change with our clients as soon as possible. Our new Privacy Collection Notification applies to any information you have provided to us after June 11, 2025, which is when the new legislation came into effect.
If you have any questions about the collection and use of your information, please send an email to privacy@afsc.ca or call 1.877.899.2372.
Understanding the change
This change may trigger some questions for our clients, so we’ve provided the answers to some anticipated questions. If you have additional questions, please reach out to privacy@afsc.ca
Q: Why did AFSC update its Privacy Collection Notification?
AFSC updated its Privacy Collection Notification, previously called our FOIP Statement, to reflect changes in Alberta’s privacy legislation.
The new laws include updated requirements for how personal information is collected, used, and disclosed by public bodies. It also added the requirement to provide a notification if personal information will be used in an automated system. This notification update ensures AFSC continues to meet legislative obligations, as well as maintain transparency with its clients.
Q: What changed in Alberta’s privacy legislation?
The Government of Alberta modernized privacy laws by separating the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act into two distinct pieces of legislation:
The acts introduce new obligations for public bodies regarding the use of automated systems and data-driven decision-making.
Q: What is an automated system?
Automated systems are defined in the legislation as “any system, software or process that uses computation as whole or part of a system to determine outcomes, make or aid decisions, inform policy implementation, collect data or observations, or otherwise interact with individuals and/or communities. Automated systems include, but are not limited to, systems derived from machine learning, statistics, or other data processing or artificial intelligence techniques, and exclude passive computing infrastructure.”
To keep it simple, we interpreted this to include many standard computer programs used in business, so we felt it was important to notify our clients about the change.
Q: How does this change affect me?
For most individuals, this change won’t affect how you interact with AFSC.
The update provides more clarity about:
- the types of personal information we collect
- the purposes for which we collect it
- how it may be used in automated decision-making
Q: Does AFSC collect any new types of personal information?
No, AFSC’s practices for collecting personal information are still the same. This update is about making sure clients are aware that our notice has been updated and that it aligns with the new legislation.
Q: Where can I learn more about AFSC’s privacy practices?
You can learn more about AFSC’s privacy practices on our Privacy and Website Data Use pages. The updated Privacy Collection Notification is included wherever AFSC collects personal information, including forms.
