Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Services

The mandate of the Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) Services—otherwise known as the ATIP Office—is to administer the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. IPRA also ensures that legislative and central agency policies and procedures are respected on behalf of Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

The purpose of the Access to Information Act is to provide a right of access to records—in any format—held under the control of government institutions and subject to certain specific and limited exceptions—to citizens and permanent residents of Canada as well as to individuals who are present in Canada. The Act upholds the principles that government information should be available to the public, that exceptions to the right of access should be limited and specific, and that decisions on the disclosure of government information should be reviewed independently of government.

The Privacy Act is intended to protect the privacy of individuals with respect to personal information about themselves held by a government institution and to provide individuals with a right of access to their personal information. This Act provides individuals with a basic right to know why their information is collected by the government, how it will be used, how long it will be kept and to whom access will be provided. In addition, under this Act, individuals are entitled to request a correction of the personal information where the person believes there is an error or omission.

This section outlines Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada's ATIP services, identifies contacts, downloadable request forms and other related information.