BC Freedom of Information and Privacy Association
Your Data Your Rights
How do I obtain my personal information from X body?
When requesting your personal information from a public body, one of the first things you should do is verify that the public body has the personal information you seek. Accessing information, even if it is your own, can sometimes be a long drawn-out process so it is important to verify they have it before starting the process. One way to do this is by calling or emailing the public body and asking if they have the information, if they would be willing to release it immediately without making a formal request, and if not, then inquire which process to use.
If the public body is provincial, then requesting your personal information is typically done through an “FOI request”, also known as a “freedom of information request”. If the public body is federal, then the information request is typically done through an “ATIP request”, also known as an “access to information and privacy request”.
You can usually find the public body’s request mechanism through an internet search with “[Public Body] FOI” if they are a provincial body, or “[Public Body] ATIP” if they are a federal public body. For example, the first search result for “Victoria police department FOI” is VicPD’s FOI request mechanism. Requesting information from ministries will typically be done through this government page, and can be found with the above strategy (eg., Search “MCFD foi”).
When making a request, it is helpful to be as clear and specific as possible so the public body may fulfill the request as fast as possible;however, in many cases it may be necessary for a broad request to be made. One potential way to specify requests is to provide a timeframe for the information. You are not required to provide a reason for why you want the information, but if your request is unclear or complex then you may be asked for clarification.
For more information about requesting information, please visit BC FIPA’s Get Help pages.
Updated 2024.09. 20
These pages were last updated and reviewed in the summer of 2024.
The information on these pages only contains general information and guidance; none of the information constitutes legal advice. If you have a specific issue that you believe is a legal problem, the best practice is to consult a lawyer.
The information is non-partisan, dynamic and ever changing. It is the result of FIPA’s research and public education programs.
If you note something that needs to be added, corrected, or removed, please contact us by email: fipa AT fipa.bc.ca.
