Regulations under this Act:
R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 823 General
O. Reg. 372/91 Institutions
Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) provides an individual with the right to access municipal government information, including most general records and records containing their own personal information, subject to very specific and limited exemptions. Examples of exemptions may include such factors as:
- if disclosure could compromise another individual’s privacy;
- if the releasing of information would interfere with a law enforcement matter;
- if the information was received in confidence from either the federal government or the Government of Ontario or another provincial government.
The Act provides individuals with the right to request a correction to their personal information which they believe to be false or inaccurate and/or to attach a statement of disagreement to their records. An individual is also provided with the opportunity to request an independent review from the Information and Privacy Commissioner of the decisions made under MFIPPA by the head of an institution.
“Personal information” includes factors such as race, religion, marital status, education, addresses, phone numbers, personal opinions or views, correspondence sent to an institution that is of a confidential nature, employment history, or medical information, among others.
The Act applies to all local government organizations, including:
- municipalities
school boards
- public utilities (except electricity distributors)
- transit and police commissions
- fire departments
- conservation authorities
- boards of health
- other local boards
There are separate Acts that apply specifically to provincial ministries, agencies and federal government institutions.
Under the MFIPPA, access rights are balanced with privacy protection. The Act requires municipal institutions to protect the privacy of an individual's personal information existing in government records. Rules and regulations regarding the collection, use, disclosure and disposal of personal information in the custody and control of a municipal institution are detailed.
In order to obtain access to a record, a person shall make a request in writing to the institution that the person believes has custody or control of the record providing sufficient detail to enable identification of the record; and pay the prescribed fee.