Can an agency take a “blanket” approach to my information request?

An agency cannot refuse to release all the information requested by an individual based only on the general nature of that information. This type of refusal is called “blanket withholding.” 

If an individual has asked for their own personal information, an  they are usually entitled to it(external link) unless there is a good reason under the Privacy Act for not providing it. This means that the information has to be assessed against the grounds for witholding information set out in part 4 of the Privacy Act(external link). 

When an agency refuses to release information, it must provide the reason for its refusal and grounds in support of that reason, if requested. It may be the case that some information can be legally withheld, even though some other information must be released. 

The issue of “blanket withholding” is covered in the case Kelsey v The Minister of Trade [2015](external link). This case determined that there is no lawful basis under the Official Information Act for blanket withholding. The same approach applies to requests made under the Privacy Act.

The Privacy Commissioner can investigate agency responses to information access requests and whether they comply with the Privacy Act(external link).