Image From Facebook/ThomasDangAB

By Canadian Press

Alberta MLA charged and facing fines for breaching province’s Health Information Act

Jun 24, 2022 | 3:56 PM

EDMONTON – An Alberta legislature member investigated by the RCMP after admitting to hacking into a government health website is being charged under the province’s Health Information Act.

The Alberta RCMP Cybercrime Investigative Team says it has charged Thomas Dang for illegally attempting to access private information contained in the Alberta Health vaccine portal.

If convicted, the second-term MLA could face a fine up to $200,000 and is scheduled to appear in court July 27.

Dang resigned from the NDP caucus when he became aware of the RCMP probe in December 2021.

Police investigated after Dang admitted to using his computer to follow up on a tip from a constituent about possible loopholes that were allowing access to people’s private health information on the province’s COVID-19 vaccine website.

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He later said that when he ran into roadblocks trying to breach the vaccination site, he used Premier Jason Kenney’s birth date and vaccination dates – both publicly available which allowed him to breach the site’s privacy safeguards.

He has been sitting in the house as an Independent but says he wants to return to caucus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published on June 24, 2022.

The Canadian Press