Tag: Personal Information

  • An Introduction to Freedom of Information

    An Introduction to Freedom of Information

    Up to this point I’ve written many articles on the “finer points” of responding to Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.  But today I would like to present an article addressed to all of those people who are just starting out as an FOI professional – who might appreciate

  • When is labour and employment information exempt from disclosure?

    When is labour and employment information exempt from disclosure?

    In Ontario, both the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) contain special provisions regarding labour and employment information which often have the effect of giving institutions the option (or in some cases, an obligation) to refuse to disclose such information…

  • 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…

  • Requests for Personal Information with the Consent of the Individual

    Requests for Personal Information with the Consent of the Individual

    Institutions are sometimes faced with a request from someone who purports to be acting on behalf or with the consent of the individual whose personal information is being requested.  The requestor in this case may be a lawyer, insurance company, or agent, or it may simply be a friend a relative who is helping the…

  • Verifying the Identity of the Requestor

    Verifying the Identity of the Requestor

    The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Manual (the “FOI Manual”) notes that when a requestor asks an institution for the requestor’s own personal information, the institution must first verify the identity of the requestor before any personal information is disclosed.  The FOI Manual suggests that an institution may be able to fulfill the…