Our goal is to advance Ontarians’ privacy and access rights by working with public institutions to develop bedrock principles and comprehensive governance frameworks for the responsible and accountable deployment of digital technologies.
Our work to further this goal includes the resources below.
This guidance is designed to help institutions implement better record and information management practices and enhance the public’s ability to access information.
Today we are releasing two papers on Open Government, which is a concept based on the core belief that the public has the right to access the records and proceedings of government. Governments around the world are recognizing Open Government as an essential ingredient for democracy.
Open Government: Key Concepts and Benefits is intended as a starting point for institutions considering Open Government and highlights two critical goals: enhancing access to government-held information and public participation. It includes a discussion about making government-held information open by default and at little or no cost, and ways to enable a true two-way dialogue with the public.
Open Government: Key Implementation Considerations provides institutions with an overview of important factors to consider when implementing Open Government including the need for institutional leadership, commitment, governance and resources to support culture change and sustain the program over time, learning from others, engaging both internal and external users, and meeting legal requirements.
In our 2015 Annual Report, Commissioner Brian Beamish said that the IPC remains committed to the cause of Open Government in Ontario. Open Data and Open Information policies hold the promise of creating a more open and accountable government, as well as fueling the information economy by providing start-up companies and entrepreneurs with ready access to public data.
We have engaged with provincial and municipal institutions about Open Government and hope this constructive exchange continues in the coming years. We actively support institutions’ efforts to move toward greater accountability and transparency by reviewing and commenting on their proposals and materials.
This guidance document provides institutions with an overview of important factors to consider when implementing Open Government including the need for institutional leadership, commitment, governance and resources to support culture change and sustain the program over time, learning from others, engaging both internal and external users, and meeting legal requirements.
This guidance paper is intended as a starting point for institutions considering Open Government and highlights two critical goals: enhancing access to government-held information and public participation. It includes a discussion about making government-held information open by default and at little or no cost, and ways to enable a true two-way dialogue with the public.
This document highlights the key issues to consider when de-identifying personal information in the form of structured data and it provides a step-by-step process that institutions can follow when removing personal information from data sets.
The IPC has prepared this new guidance document, Thinking About Clouds? Privacy, security and compliance considerations for Ontario public sector institutions, to help institutions evaluate whether cloud computing services are suitable for their information management needs. In particular, it seeks to raise awareness of the risks associated with using cloud computing services and outlines some strategies to mitigate those risks.
Recommended mitigation strategies include appropriate project planning, co-ordination, and documentation, undertaking risk analyses, applying data minimization measures, due diligence investigation of the cloud provider, negotiating effective contracts, and having an incident management plan in place.
It is the responsibility of all public institutions in Ontario to maintain effective control of, and be fully accountability for, the personal information entrusted to them by the public they serve.
Many institutions turn to video surveillance to help them fulfil their obligations to protect the safety of individuals and the security of their equipment and property. Video footage captured by cameras is regularly used to assist in the investigation of wrongdoing. However, the use of these surveillance technologies can put individuals’ privacy at risk. Therefore, it is important to carefully consider both whether it is appropriate to install video surveillance and how it is used.
This publication brings together our previous guidance on video surveillance and responds to new issues and factors, including appropriate retention periods, notices of collection and disclosures to law enforcement agencies. By following these guidelines, institutions can use video surveillance technologies, while protecting individuals’ privacy in accordance with their obligations under Ontario’s privacy legislation.
Proactive disclosure of procurement records strengthens clarity and accountability around government spending. It can also provide tangible benefits to institutions by reducing the number of procurement-related freedom of information requests, appeals and associated costs.
This resource details the benefits of proactive disclosure and offers tips on designing and implementing a transparent procurement process, while still protecting confidentiality where appropriate.
