Category: Uncategorized

  • Why do requestors ask for electronic versions of records?

    Why do requestors ask for electronic versions of records?

    In this article, FIPPA and MFIPPA refer to Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, respectively. There are a number of reasons that a requestor might ask an institution to disclose records digitally rather than in hard copy: The requestor is hoping to…

  • FOI In The News (April 23, 2019)

    FOI In The News (April 23, 2019)

    CBC News: Overburdened public bodies seek fees, restrictions on freedom of information requests Ian Froese, April 11, 2019 In Manitoba, there is currently no charge to apply for access to records, and requestors are allotted two free hours for search and preparation time.  As part of a review of Manitoba’s Freedom of Information and Protection…

  • Do institutions have to disclose electronic versions of records?

    Do institutions have to disclose electronic versions of records?

    Can requestors specify whatever format they want? How should an institution respond to a request that specifies the format in which the requestor would like to receive the records?  For example, an institution might receive a request for hundreds of pages of documents which are stored by the institution only in hard copy, but the…

  • “I thought we deleted that!” Metadata and Hidden Data

    “I thought we deleted that!” Metadata and Hidden Data

    What are Metadata and Hidden Data? Metadata Metadata refers to information “about” a record.  For a Microsoft Word document, this could include information such as the author of the document, the date and time the document was created, the time spent editing the document, its length, its description, comments about the document, etc.  For a…

  • Decoding the names of FOI decisions

    Decoding the names of FOI decisions

    What do the names of FOI decisions mean? The Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPCO) assigns a unique identifier to each decision made by its adjudicators.  Generally, the identifier is a short string of letters and numbers, such as P-22, PO-2400, or MO-1508.  But in the early days of IPCO, orders were identified with…

  • Update: FOI Flowcharts have been sent (copies are still available)

    Update: FOI Flowcharts have been sent (copies are still available)

    If you requested a poster-sized printed copy of the FOI Flowchart, it has now been sent.  Keep an eye on your incoming mail, as the posters will be arriving shortly.  If you are an FOI professional in Ontario and you haven’t seen the FOI Flowchart yet, I suggest taking a look.  It is available for…