Feds to stop asking ID category of requesters under access to information

OTTAWA – The Conservative government has agreed to stop requiring information about the background of citizens before accepting their requests under the Access to Information Act.

An online pilot project begun in April this year requires people to list whether they’re members of the media, or business, or academia, before they can ask for government information.

More than 10,000 online requests have been filed in the last seven months, each of them requiring the requester to list their category before being able to submit an application.

After an investigation by the information commissioner of Canada, the government has agreed to allow people to decline to answer the question, though it may take months to implement.

A spokeswoman for the Treasury Board, which launched the online service, says the intention was to produce statistics on the categories of requesters.

The Conservative government has come under fire in the past for red-flagging some information requests for special treatment, especially those from news media or opposition party members.