Office of the Privacy Commissioner | The return of Right to Know Day
Each year, the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) partners with the Office of the Ombudsman to mark Right to Know Day.
International Right to Know Day, held on 28 September, recognises citizens’ right to access their personal information and official information.
Privacy Commissioner John Edwards says the right of access to information is an important human right, necessary for the enjoyment and expression of other human rights.
While the Privacy Act gives people the right to have access to information about themselves, the Official Information Act gives people another kind of right - the right to access government-held information. Both these laws are important cornerstones of transparency and democracy and both are worth celebrating.
“The Privacy Act gives people an important human right to know the basis for decisions that are being made about them by organisations. It gives individuals an essential way to find out what is known about them and to be able to take control of their privacy.
“Each year, about 60 percent of the complaints my office receives are from people being denied access to their personal information. Organisations need to know their Privacy Act responsibilities when contacted by an individual wanting their information.
“For instance, organisations have an obligation to respond to a request within 20 working days. Requests for personal information can also involve emails, text messages, camera footage or even the memory recall of a conversation.”
Mr Edwards also says credit information is key information about an individual. “All New Zealanders should know how to ask for their credit score to make sure it is accurate because a low score can impact on a person’s borrowing, housing or employment.”
The Office of the Privacy Commissioner has produced a Right to Know Day poster. Find out more about its Right to Know Day resources here.
If an organisation or individual wants to know more about the right to know, they can contact OPC. Its AboutMe Request My Info tool is a handy way to make an online request for information.
Right to Know Day is celebrated in other countries with comparable jurisdictions to New Zealand such as Canada and Australia.
The Commissioner is available for interviews. A PDF of this media release is available here.
For more information, contact Charles Mabbett on 021 509 735.