B.C. privacy watchdog investigates Crime Stoppers data breach

The Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC) for British Columbia is investigating whether B.C. Crime Stoppers implemented sufficient security measures to protect the personal information of anonymous tipsters. The investigation follows a data breach at Navigate360, the U.S.-based company that manages the P3 online tip platform used by various Canadian Crime Stoppers chapters.

Navigate360 reported that an unauthorized third party accessed its systems between November 21, 2025, and March 5, 2026. The compromised data may include names, addresses, birth dates, and social insurance numbers. While federal privacy law, PIPEDA, generally does not apply to non-profit organizations, B.C.’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) requires all organizations in the province to maintain reasonable security arrangements.

Gill Millam, executive director of B.C. Crime Stoppers, stated that the organization is cooperating fully with the OIPC. Due to the sensitive nature of the information involved, the OIPC noted that individuals who believe they were affected do not need to file a formal complaint.