Power to the people! Access, privacy, and civic engagement | Le pouvoir au peuple ! Accès, vie privée et engagement civique

Dave Meslin is a community organizer, activist, and bestselling author.

Topics discussed in this episode:

The systemic barriers that keep people on the sidelines of community involvement and political decision making [4:02]Taking cues from private sector customer service [7:53]Tapping into collective wisdom and disrupting the status quo [9:47]The role of government transparency in supporting civic engagement [12:05]Access to information as fuel for community activism and change [12:39]Assessing government open data efforts [16:08]The Dazzling Notice Awards [18:41]Improving civics education [22:10]Making privacy policies make sense [24:42]Empowering youth to exercise their democratic muscles [28:04]

Resources:

The antidote to apathy (TEDTalk)Teardown: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up (book by Dave Meslin)Empowering a New Generation of Digital Citizens (IPC Privacy Day 2022 webcast)Privacy and Transparency in a Modern Government: IPC Strategic Priorities 2021-2025 (IPC strategic plan)Open Government: Key Concepts and Benefits (IPC guidance)Demystifying the FOI Process (Info Matters episode about the steps involved in making an access request) Directory of Institutions (FOI contacts for ministries, municipalities and other local government institutions)Directory of Records (descriptions of records maintained by provincial ministries)Access to Information Under Ontario’s Information and Privacy Acts 
(IPC brochure)The Appeal Process and Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner 
(IPC brochure)Accessing Personal and General Government Records (FAQs and forms)

Info Matters is a podcast about people, privacy, and access to information hosted by Patricia Kosseim, Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. We dive into conversations with people from all walks of life and hear stories about the access and privacy issues that matter most to them. 

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The information, opinions, and recommendations presented in this podcast are for general information only. It should not be relied upon as a substitute for legal advice. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the IPC does not endorse, approve, recommend, or certify any information, product, process, service, or organization presented or mentioned in this podcast, and information from this podcast should not be used or reproduced in any way to imply such approval or endorsement. None of the information, opinions and recommendations presented in this podcast bind the IPC’s Tribunal that may be called upon to independently investigate and decide upon an individual complaint or appeal based on the specific facts and unique circumstances of a given case.