A government minister has urged people to understand their rights and protections available under new legislation that will come properly into effect next year.

The Personal Information Protection Act will be fully enacted on January 1 and, leading up to the deadline, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner has conducted a “Road to Pipa” awareness campaign.

Its objective is to offer guidance to organisations and individuals in Bermuda ahead of the implementation date.

Crystal Caesar, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, took part this week in a town hall meeting, called “Pipa and You — An Individual's Guide”, which was aimed at making sure residents are ready for Pipa.

She said: “As we approach the full enactment of Pipa, events like this are crucial in ensuring that every Bermuda resident understands the rights and the protections available to them under the Personal Information Protection Act.

“In today’s digital age, our personal information is constantly being collected and used, whether we’re receiving social insurance, purchasing goods, operating a bank account, or simply connecting with friends and family through social media.

“While this has made our lives easier, it is essential that we understand and maintain control over our personal information.

“Pipa recognises both the need to protect individual rights and the legitimate needs of organisations to use personal information to provide services.”

The minister said that under the legislation, individuals have the following rights: to know how their personal information is being used, to control the collection and use of their information, to access the personal information organisations hold about an individual, to have errors in their information corrected, and to be assured that a person's information is stored and shared securely.

• To find out more about Pipa, visitwww.privacy.bm