Freedom of information

Alberta has modernized its access to information legislation. The Access to Information Act (ATIA) came into force on June 11, 2025, and replaces part of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The ATIA allows access to records held by public bodies in Alberta and is the cornerstone of an open, accessible and accountable public body. It aims to strike a balance between the public’s right to know information and protecting confidential information required to ensure effective operations of government and public bodies.

The information presented here is intended to provide the user with resources related to Canadian laws and policies dealing with access to information and privacy, with a particular emphasis on the federal Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.

In Alberta each government department is required to have a directory of personal information banks (PIBs) and make it available to the public. A personal information bank lists the type of personal information held by a public body. A personal information bank does not provide direct access to an individual’s records. For further information check out this page.

This tipsheet was prepared by the Alberta Office of the Information & Privacy Commissioner to help landlords and tenants understand their rights and responsibilities under the Alberta Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA)

This site contains a variety of information pertaining to the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act, the Health Information Act (HIA), the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the Access to Motor Vehicle Information Regulation (AMVIR) and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC). The site also provides access to Commissioner’s Orders, Investigation Reports and other publications from the Office. The “Contact Us” section offers information about how to initiate a review or investigation under any of these Acts.

The Commissioner is an advocate for the privacy rights of Canadians and her powers include: Investigating complaints, conducting audits and pursuing court action under two federal laws – Privacy Act and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA); Publicly reporting on the personal information-handling practices of public and private sector organizations; Supporting, undertaking and publishing research into privacy issues; and Promoting public awareness and understanding of privacy issues.

Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) is Alberta’s private sector privacy law. PIPA applies to provincial private sector organizations, businesses and, in some instances, to non-profit organizations for the protection of personal information and to provide a right of access to an individual’s own personal information.Organizations that are subject to PIPA must develop and follow policies that are reasonable to meet its obligations under the Act. When PIPA refers to any thing or any matter as ‘reasonable,’ it is that which a reasonable person would consider appropriate in the circumstances.For public bodies, such as government departments and municipalities, please see information provided on the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act website.

This publication prepared by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada is intended to provide readers with a general overview of the ten principles included in the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA), and how these principles affect associations and non-profit organizations (PDF – 10 pages).

The Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada has created this graphic novel to help young Canadians to better understand and navigate privacy issues in the online world. The 12-page graphic novel– is designed to appeal to tweens and younger teens. The novel was developed with feedback from young people, it tells the story of a brother and sister who learn (sometimes the hard way) about the privacy risks related to social networking, mobile devices and texting, and online gaming.To accompany the graphic novel, they have also developed a discussion guide that educators can use to generate further discussion and learning.