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IPC Privacy & Access by Design - Fall 2011
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Sep 07, 2011 |
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Celebrating Our Right to Know
On September 28, 2002, freedom of information organizations from more than a dozen countries met in Sofia, Bulgaria, and agreed to partner in the promotion of an individual’s right of access to government-held information. Since that time, organizations around the world, including my Office, officially recognize Right to Know Week each year, in the month of September.
It’s a fitting time to celebrate our Right to Know in Ontario, as transparency and accountability in Ontario’s hospitals are on the cusp of a major leap forward. The Broader Public Sector Accountability Act brings hospitals under Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), as of January 1, 2012.
Read More
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Outreach Schedule
The IPC will have outreach tables at hospitals throughout Ontario during Right to Know Week 2011, September 26 - 30, between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. See full schedule below.
September 26, 2011
St. Michael's Hospital
North York General Hospital
The Hospital for Sick Children
Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre
September 27, 2011
Trillium Health Centre
September 28, 2011
Hamilton Health Sciences
London Health Sciences Centre
September 29, 2011
Windsor Regional Hospital
Royal Victoria Hospital
Kingston General Hospital
September 30, 2011
Niagara Health System - St. Catharines General Site
The Ottawa Hospital
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Introducing Privacy by ReDesign
Privacy by ReDesign is a new approach to applying the 7 Foundational Principles of Privacy by Design to existing systems: information technologies, business practices, physical design, and networked infrastructure.
Learn more:
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Paper | Privacy by ReDesign: Building a Better Legacy
Privacy by ReDesign will be the subject of a pre-conference seminar at the 33rd International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners. |
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Hydro One and Privacy by Design |
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August 30, 2011 | MO-2652-I
Township of Madawaska Valley
August 24, 2011 | PO-2990
Ontario Power Generation
August 22, 2011 | MO-2645-I
West Nipissing Police Services Board
August 16, 2011 | PO-2988-R
Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services
June 08, 2011 | MO-2628
City of Waterloo
See More Recent Orders |
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| The 2010 Annual Report of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC). |
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Opening The Door - Hospitals & FOI
It was a long time coming – 24 years to be exact. But, as of January 1, 2012, Ontario hospitals will fall under Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA).
This landmark event will usher in an era of greater openness and transparency. Commissioner Cavoukian has long advocated for this course of action as it will foster a culture of increased accountability.
"In a free and democratic society such as ours," says Commissioner Cavoukian, "it is vital – for the purposes of transparency and accountability – to have access to information about institutions that are primarily funded by public dollars. The public has a right to know."
The introduction of FIPPA will give the public a broader right to access records under a hospital’s custody or control, including those relating to administrative and operational functions, policy and financial considerations. The legislation covers information that came into the custody or under the control of hospitals on or after January 1, 2007. Personal health information will continue to be governed by the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA).
Hospitals will be required to appoint a Freedom of Information and Privacy Co-ordinator to respond to requests for information within 30 days. Ontarians will have the right to appeal to the IPC if the information they requested is refused or only partially given, or to have any fee estimate reviewed.
In the spirit of educating the public and hospitals about Ontario’s new access to information rights, the IPC has created some useful resources:
The IPC has a number of activities planned during Right to Know Week (September 26-30) to raise awareness about this important milestone. See Right to Know Outreach for information.
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Celebrating our Right to Know
On September 28, 2002, freedom of information organizations from more than a dozen countries met in Sofia, Bulgaria, and agreed to partner in the promotion of an individual’s right of access to government-held information. Since that time, organizations around the world, including my Office, officially recognize Right to Know Week each year, in the month of September.
It’s a fitting time to celebrate our Right to Know in Ontario, as transparency and accountability in Ontario’s hospitals are on the cusp of a major leap forward. The Broader Public Sector Accountability Act brings hospitals under Ontario’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), as of January 1, 2012.
Since 2004, hospitals have been covered under the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA), which governs the collection, use and disclosure of personal health information, and provides individuals with the right to access their health records from health institutions. Now, FOI legislation will complete the circle, providing a wide right of access to records under a hospital’s custody or control.
As Commissioner, I am delighted that the government has finally moved forward with this important step. For the last two decades, my Office has campaigned for open, transparent government. While in the past we called for Routine Disclosure, advances in information and communications technology now call for Proactive or Automatic Disclosure to be the norm, not the exception.
My concept of Access by Design (AbD) can assist in changing the very way that our government and citizens interact when it comes to accessing government-held information. The spirit of AbD lies in the belief that public institutions need to take a proactive, rather than a reactive, approach to public disclosure. The key word here is default – where public institutions proactively release information as part of an automatic process – by default. This is a message I will be sharing with hospitals as they prepare for a new era of openness and transparency.
I invite you to visit our website to learn more about the 7 Fundamental Principles of AbD and how they can bring Ontario forward into the 21st century with a more responsive and efficient government that engages in collaborative relationships with its citizens.
Access to information is the lifeblood of our democracy because citizens need government-held information in order to participate fully and meaningfully in civil life. Transparency helps to create a culture of accountability, which is one of the foundations upon which our free and open society is built.
Ann Cavoukian, Ph.D.
Information and Privacy Commissioner
Ontario, Canada
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If you have any questions call us at 416.326.3333 / 1.800.387.0073, send us an email at info@ipc.on.ca, or write to us at: Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario, 2 Bloor St. East, Suite 1400, Toronto, ON, M4W 1A8.
© 2011 Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. All rights reserved. IPC, Privacy by Design and related trademarks, names, and logos are the property of the Information and Privacy Commissioner and are registered and/or used in Canada, the U.S. and countries around the world. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
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