The Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) is an information rights law that gives an individual a legal right of access to records held by Manitoba public bodies, subject to specific and limited exceptions. The act also requires that public bodies protect the privacy of an individual's personal information existing in records held by public bodies. FIPPA came into force on May 4, 1998 and replaced t he Freedom of Information Act.
Who falls under FIPPA?
FIPPA applies to public bodies, which include provincial government departments and agencies and local public bodies. Local public bodies include educational bodies (such as school divisions, universities and colleges), health-care bodies (such as hospitals and regional health authorities) and local government bodies (such as the City of Winnipeg, municipalities, local government districts, planning districts and conservation districts), and any other body in these categories designated in the regulations.
What is a "record"?
FIPPA defines a "record" as "a record of information in any form, and includes information that is written, photographed, recorded or stored in any manner, on any storage medium or by any means including by graphic, electronic or mechanical means, but does not include electronic software or any mechanism that produces records".
What is "personal information"?
Personal information is recorded information about an identifiable individual. This includes your name, address, telephone or fax number, information about your age, gender, ethnic origin, financial information, genetic information or any identifying number such as your Social Insurance Number, driver's license or credit card number, and so on.
Who can see my personal information?
First and foremost, FIPPA gives you a legal right to see (and request corrections to) your own personal information. FIPPA limits the use and disclosure of your personal information by a public body. Within a public body, only an employee who needs to know your personal information to provide the program or service for which you provided the information may have access to it. FIPPA protects the privacy of your personal information by preventing public bodies from disclosing your information to third parties without your consent, although there are certain specific and limited situations in which a public body may disclose your personal information, such as for law enforcement purposes. For a complete list of these situations, see section 44(1) of FIPPA.
Is FIPPA the only way to get access to records?
FIPPA does not replace existing procedures for access to records or information normally available to the public (section 3). The records you wish to access may be available informally, without requiring you to apply for access under FIPPA. Before you submit an application form, you should contact the access and privacy coordinator for the public body that has the records you are interested in, to see if they are available without having to fill out an application.
How do I request access to general or personal information?
Will I receive access to every record I request?
The right of access is subject to limited and specific exceptions to disclosure. The practice of severance, which involves removing information that falls within an exception to disclosure from a copy of the record to be released, enables the disclosure of as much information as possible. This means that your request may result in the disclosure of only parts of the record(s) you wish to access.
How do I request corrections to my personal information?
Will I have to pay anything for access to records?
