Alberta voter list breach: Non-profit workers navigating own privacy concerns while simultaneously helping vulnerable

By Alexa Briggs

At the Nonprofit Chamber, we’re hearing real concerns from organizations across Alberta following the voter list breach, and a vital angle is being overlooked in the response.

The public release of Alberta’s voter list, including personal information of registered voters, is a serious breach with real implications for non-profit staff and the communities they serve.

Across Alberta, non-profit staff support people experiencing domestic violence, homelessness, addiction, poverty, discrimination, and crisis. Many work in environments where privacy and personal safety are not abstract concerns; they are part of daily reality.

It is widely understood that vulnerable people accessing services may now require additional support to navigate potential safety concerns, but less understood is that frontline staff themselves have also had their personal information exposed. 

Both already-vulnerable clients and organizational staff now face very real concerns about their own safety. The exposure of personal identifying information can create genuine fear and vulnerability. 

As we begin to fully understand the ramifications of this breach, we cannot lose sight of the people tirelessly working in non-profits supporting some of Alberta’s most vulnerable populations, who may now also need support and care themselves.

This breach will place additional demands on non-profits as they support people accessing services, work that I know the sector has the expertise and compassion to handle. 

But we must also recognize the impact on staff, who will care for others while also navigating their own new concerns.

At the centre of this breach are real people, both those seeking support and those dedicating their lives to providing it. 

Non-profits should not have to carry the burden of protecting vulnerable communities while worrying about their own safety and privacy. 

As we respond to this breach, remember that protecting vulnerable communities also means protecting the people who serve them every day.

This is something the Chamber will continue to monitor closely as we support organizations navigating the impacts.

Alexa Briggs is the executive vice president, policy, insight and engagement for the Nonprofit Chamber. She has a strong professional background as a researcher and writer, combined with extensive experience working for non-profit organizations in managerial and leadership positions. Alexa holds a B.A. in Sociology with High Honours and an Interdisciplinary M.A, both from the University of Saskatchewan.