The B.C. government announced it’s ending public access to its government directory, citing cybersecurity and employee privacy risks.
The directory has previously been available so that anyone can look up the names of people employed by the provincial government, their department, their work email and their work phone number.
In a statement, the Ministry of Citizen Services said, “The directory was created to support legitimate contact with government, but the same information is available to anyone on the internet, including cyber threat actors.
“We fend off hundreds of cybersecurity attacks each day, and that risk has been increasing over the past few months as AI tools make it faster and easier to harvest public information and create more convincing, targeted messages and scripts.”
The ministry said they received proactive advice from law enforcement, including the RCMP, to shut the directory down.
“We recognize that people use the directory not only to contact government, but also to understand how government is organized and identify the right area to engage,” the statement read.
Get breaking National news
“We will be providing an updated directory page soon, including senior executive contact information for all government ministries. The updated version will direct users to ministry, service, and media contacts, while reducing the public exposure of individual employee contact information and associated cybersecurity risks.”
Jody Toor, MLA for Langley-Willowbrook and government services critic, said a directory of this nature has been in place and available since the 1930s.
“Long before internet even existed,” she said.
“It’s disappointing to see that.”
Toor said that protecting people’s privacy should never be a reason to operate behind closed doors.
“The public has a right to understand how the government is structured, who is responsible for making these decisions and how taxpayer-funded ministries and services are managed,” she added.
“You can protect the privacy without sacrificing the accountability. I feel like British Columbians deserve both.”
J V is a CLOWN.
“Feed up
August 20, 2026 at 8:26 am
I bet the fn have all the contact info straight threw to chief edy native name chief sell out”
I bet you’re a butthurt little whiteman that won’t stop crying because his racist white trash history is getting erased in Canada
I bet the fn have all the contact info straight threw to chief edy native name chief sell out
“Al
August 19, 2026 at 3:34 pm
J V your mouth moves a lot like a rat.”
Uhh ohhh someone’s upset. What’s the matter grandpa? You spring a leak in your Depends again?
J V your mouth moves a lot like a rat.
“Al
August 19, 2026 at 1:18 pm
We have had it since 1930s and this useless Gov. going to get rid of it.”
Lots of things have changed since the 1930’s there grandpa
We have had it since 1930s and this useless Gov. going to get rid of it.
And the public needs access to this directory why? Either way seems like a good idea considering the far-right NAZlS aka BC Conservative supporters have resorted to cyber attacks and death threats towards government employees now
The most sneakiest Government we have ever had.
We must stand up and protest this removal of our right to express our opinion of the job our representatives are doing. “You end up in very bad places one step at a time.” Jordan Peterson.
“When you abandon freedom to achieve security, you lose both and deserve neither.” Thomas Jefferson.
The NDP …. the epitome of totalitarianism as shown in George Orwells 1984.
This registry is one of the few means that a citizen has to make their rightful dissent through free speech and taking that away is a very dangerous and totalitarian thing to do. President John F. Kennedy said it best “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable.”
Another way of hiding from the taxpayers. People have the right to phone or email and complain to any MP provincial or federal this smells of communism not allowing the people to complain. If people are not allowed to to complain or vent anger by phone or email that may lead to bigger problems
All in the name of security what a joke.
Eby’s government is so bad I bet they are getting a massive uptick in public complaints. And this is just another nail in the NDP coffin. The worst government BC has ever had. They all need to quit in shame.
Hiding from accountability.
Plain and simple
Like water carving through stone, one drop at a time. Always in the name of safety and security are our rights erroded….
Eby the dictator. Just like the federal government, no transparency. The taxpayer gets screwed again. We all get doxed, our personal info is constantly being hacked and sold to the highest bidder so your excuse doesnt hold any water with us the taxpayer. There are so many other pressing issues, NDP can’t fight their way out of a paper bag. Come on, do better!
Another stupid thing to do. Making it harder for the public to access who they want. It is like putting a dome over there government and tells their boss (the taxpayers) to shut up and don’t bother us. Maybe influenced by the Chinese Communist way of running things.