ATIA and POPA essentially divided FOIP in half, with POPA’s focus now exclusively on data collection and safeguarding it. The ATIA focuses strictly on the public’s right to access records. New access to Information requests are like FOIP requests but ATIA grants the ability to disregard requests judged to be abusive, repetitious or excessively broad. There are also exemptions for cabinet confidences and legal matters. Note, there is also a $25 fee to file a request. ATIA requires public disclosure of frequently requested information like
contracts and policies and also gives the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner the power to issue binding orders and conduct audits that it didn’t have before. The new acts also include considerations for the rapid expansion of digital data and storage since FOIP became law in 1995. The towns agreed to work with Montreal-based consultants Open North, whose work focuses on “building the capacity of organizations to make better decisions about managing their data so that it is useful, actionable, secure, and trustworthy
throughout its entire lifecycle,” according to their website.
privacy legislation, access to information, FOIP, ATIA, POPA, municipalities, Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, Open North, data storage, contracts, policies
So wait, do we pay $25 just to ask for public info now? Kinda messed up.
I read the headline and it sounds like they’re making it harder to get records. But also it’s “privacy” so I’m like… which one is it? My city already denies stuff, so I can’t imagine this helps.
Doesn’t this basically let them ignore “abusive” requests? I feel like everything could be labeled abusive if they don’t want to answer. Also $25 is probably to discourage people, not to cover costs.
Open North consultants… so more outsourcing, got it. If they’re building “trustworthy” data storage then why do I keep hearing contracts and policies are always buried? Feels like privacy rules are just a new excuse to delay releasing records, even though they say ATIA is still access.