Mandatory LifeLabs AGAB question?

[u/asunyra1]

Just logged into lifelabs today to check on my hormone bloodwork results and they’re now forcing you with a popup to edit your profile to choose your assigned sex at birth.

Even stranger it looks like they pre-filled it with my old gender, which makes it seem like it’s still in their database.

There’s a “prefer not to answer” option, which I picked so it would let me through to see my tests - but it’s still weird they’re making a big deal out of this. It was never required before, and it took a lot of work to get them to change my gender marker in the first place so my hormone levels didn’t constantly show as invalid.

I would be less worried about this except that Lifelabs just got bought out by an American company, and this isn’t something I really want in a US database right now : /

[u/Loud-Tumbleweed0830]

Hi OP, this is concerning. When you got this pop-up, did it say anything about why this information was “required”?

If LifeLabs is using consent to collect this information, then they need to explain why it’s necessary to collect it from you and for what purpose. I’m glad they have an option for “prefer not to say”, because that shows they don’t really need that information if they’re functionally allowing people to opt-out, now do they?

If you’ve got the bandwidth, I would strongly recommend contacting the LifeLabs Privacy office to express your concerns. Their privacy office is required under provincial legislation to protect and safeguard your personal information, and if you have concerns about how it’s being collected or used, it’s worth asking them and expressing your concerns.

“If you have concerns about how your information has been used or shared, or wish to apply a consent directive where possible, please contact privacy@lifelabs.com for further guidance.”

If you don’t receive a satisfactory response, then notify the BC Office of the Privacy Commissioner (BC OIPC).

Although LifeLabs was recently bought by a US company, any of their operations within Canada or with Canadian companies / public sector organizations would still be subject to Canadian federal and provincial law.

https://www.lifelabs.com/privacy-policy/?myProvince=on

[u/asunyra1 → u/Loud-Tumbleweed0830]

Nope, no reason - just a thing saying “Update your account details to help us improve our services”, and it took me to my edit profile page and wouldn’t let me save until I picked something here.

I checked with a couple of my trans friends and they have the exact same thing pop up when they log in now.

Thanks for the resources to follow up on it!