Seasons Greetings and a Happy New Year to all!

Save the Date –Top of Mind webinar -privacy commissioners from across Canada – January 31 noon Eastern

Ontario -updated guidelines re: automated license Plate Readers

Ontario’s Bill 194 receives royal assent-Bill 194: Ontario’s missed opportunity to lead on AI | Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

Consultation – federal Directive on Automated Decision Making

Life Labs investigation report, Ontario and BC

Privacy cases summarized – Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt

Ontario’s IPC has podcast on indigenous data prospectives

Canada’s privacy Commissioner investigates CRA

Education

Right to Know

What is Right to Know:

A day that is internationally recognized and raises awareness among citizens of their right to access information. Right to Know week is celebrated September 23- September 29, 2024, with Right to Know day recognized on September 28. Follow #RTK2024 to stay up to date on events happening across the country.

 

What are Your Rights

Right of access to records

Looking for information about who can request access to information, what you can request access to and how to request access? Check out our frequently asked questions page and our How do I get access to information page.

Right to request an amendment or correction to your own information

Information about requesting an amendment of correction can be found here Amendment (HIPA)/Right of Correction (FOIP/LA FOIP) | IPC (oipc.sk.ca). For a more in depth explanation, please review our office’s blog Correction Request – What you Need to Know!

Right to request a review from the IPC

Not satisfied with a response received to your access to information request? You can initiate a review with our office. The process for this can be found in our Guide to Requesting a Review from the IPC (FOIP) or Guide to Requesting a Review from the IPC (LA FOIP).

To review previously published reports on access to information decisions, please check out our reports page.

Where can you go to learn more

 

 

 

Right to Know Principles

  1. Access to information is a right of everyone.
  2. Access is the rule. Secrecy is the exception.
  3. The right applies to all public bodies.
  4. Making requests should be simple, speedy, and free.
  5. Officials have a duty to assist requesters.
  6. Refusals must be justified.
  7. The public interest takes precedence over secrecy.
  8. Everyone has the right to appeal an adverse decision.
  9. Public bodies should proactively publish core information.
  10. The right to know should be guaranteed by an independent body.

Did you Know?

… that although a local authority bound by The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (LA FOIP) may transfer an access to information request to another local authority or government institution if it has a greater interest in a record, The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP) does not bestow upon a government institution the same options. Rather, section 11 of FOIP only provides that a government institution may transfer the access to information request to another government institution, not to a local authority. This is just one of many subtle differences between FOIP and LA FOIP that requires a careful read to ensure compliance.

…that if you are making an access to information request to a trustee for your personal health information, you can make an oral request? You can, but if you are dissatisfied with the outcome, you cannot request a review by the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner. Instead, you may want to submit a written request in the event you may need to later appeal the decision of the trustee.

…that there is an application fee when making an access to information request to a local authority, but not one if that access to information request is made to a government institution? The application fee that must be provided at the time an access to information request is made to a local authority, such as a town, is $20.00.

…that there is no obligation for any entity bound by The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, The Local Authority Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act or The Health Information Protection Act to provide answers to questions? The right of access is to records that exist at the time the access to information request is made, not those that would have to be created to provide answers to questions.

 

External Educational Resources

Coming soon