Jasmine Samra
Counsel
Article
In February 2025, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia (OIPC) published updated guidance for public bodies on how to develop and maintain proactive disclosure programs under Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act[1] (OPIC Guidance). The OIPC Guidance follows an OIPC investigation report regarding municipal disclosure of records[2], which highlighted, in part, the need for public bodies in British Columbia to improve the access-to-information processes offered to the public.
One of the recommendations made in the Report was the need for municipalities to establish and publish clear, meaningful categories of records that are routinely disclosed to the public without requiring a formal Freedom of Information (FOI) request.
Under section 71(1) of FIPPA, public bodies in British Columbia must ensure that certain information is readily accessible to the public without an FOI request. Establishing and maintaining a proactive disclosure program, including access to public information, is key in enhancing transparency and openness, reducing administrative burdens, and promoting accountability and public trust through access to information.
The OIPC Guidance sets out the following key steps for an effective proactive disclosure program:
In the words of Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia Michael Harvey:
“Our access to information is at the heart of transparency and accountability. By making as much of the information they hold as available as possible, public bodies empower people to better understand the decisions that impact their lives, to ask questions, to take action—in other words to fully and meaningfully participate in our democracy.”[3]
For more information on this topic or other privacy-related topics, please contact the authors or a member of our Cyber Security and Data Protection Group.
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