Elizabeth Tydd
Information Commissioner
This is an age of ambiguity in which people crave certainty. The challenge for leaders is that complex information can't be conveyed in a headline.
We operate in an attention economy in which new 'experts' or 'leaders' are emerging through social media platforms. Using these vehicles their impact appears boundless. Information is presented strategically by influencers in bite sized pieces, incrementally over a sustained period of time – with the influencer's individual brand invariably gaining, celebrity and sometimes concerningly, credibility.
There is a push model of disseminating information operating in this online digital environment to commodify and distribute information and it is demonstrably effective.
However, on one important measure social media is failing to provide meaningful information to the community. That measure is the escalation of requests for information held by government that is reportedly occurring globally. In 2025-26 my office, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), saw a 42% increase in requests from the community for a review of an agency decision on their application to receive government information. This community activation of their right to access information might reflect a recognition that Government often holds the 'single source of truth' and can assist the community in grappling with credibility and importantly, information integrity.
The responsiveness of governments globally, to the threat to information integrity may be a litmus test of democracy itself. In this context, the fact that people are asking for information cannot be viewed as a problem – rather it is part of the solution for democratically elected governments.
The UNESCO theme for the 2026 International Day for Universal Access to Information 2026, held on September 28, is poignant: "Upholding Information Integrity in the Digital Age: The role of access to Information in addressing Information Disorder".
Information integrity is the antidote to information disorder. Information integrity is secured through the construction of conditions for creation, preservation and access to information that are contemporary and enduring.
In Australia we have secured the right of access to information through enshrining that right in the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (FOI Act). Under the FOI Act information can be released proactively to the community at large or reactively in response to a request for information.
The right to access information also provides the counterbalance to the current surge in conspiracy sentiment – that truth can be unlocked through access to government information and in particular government data.
That data can be digitally ingested as reliable data sets which can be more readily accessed and consumed by the community. In this way government information can inject accuracy and assist the community in navigating the abundance of opinion that characterises social media platforms.
If the information we receive is distorted or designed to deceive and manipulate then our community experiences another accepted definition of corruption – harm. The harm that arises from online information distortion is central to online safety reform in Australia.
Globally governments are acting to introduce new guard rails, legislation and regulatory approaches to curtail the apparent harms arising from mis and disinformation and information asymmetries.
The OAIC's mandate to uphold legal standards and protect public interests can also foster responsible innovation in a complex digital environment through our regulatory guidance, including a soon to be released Statement on Information Rights Preservation in Artificial Intelligence.
Preserving Australian rights and values
Australians place a significant value on their right to access information. The overwhelming majority of respondents to the Association of Information Access Commissioners Community Attitudes (AIAC) Survey rated the right to access government-held information as important, with over half (53–59%) rating it as very important. Eighty-six percent of respondents agreed that government must publicly report on any technology used to inform decision making and 90% agreed that government should report on the information they maintain. The top three reasons motivating requests to access government information were:
- Ensuring that government remains accountable to the people (66%)
- Providing access to your own information and ensuring governments are more transparent about their spending (equally 43%)
- Providing information to promote fairness and justice (33%).
An examination of these results provides clear evidence of the Australian community's concern to maintain integrity in government and respect the deeply entrenched Australian values of fairness and justice.
My recent report Automated decision-making and public reporting under the Freedom of Information Act highlighted the existing transparency obligations under the FOI Act in respect of government's use of ADM. Those obligations together with further transparency requirements under the Privacy Act commencing on 10 December 2026 respond to community concerns.
Recently, AIAC Australian members agreed to adopt a uniform digital icon to promote information access to the community and better position government agencies to respond to requests for access to information. This seemingly small step towards improving access to information at an operational level may, if adopted by agencies, deliver transformational outcomes for the Australian community.
By providing a nationally, clearly recognisable open door to access information on government websites we can mitigate the friction between the community and government agencies that arises from an individual request. These requests are not simply individual transactions. Collectively they contribute to the Commonwealth Integrity Strategy.
Harnessing technology to proactively release information is the secret sauce of social media
Government can look to the push model of disseminating information example provided by social media influencers to meet community expectations, accelerate trust in digital services and importantly advance our democratic system of government.
AI can be an effective solution. It can lower the cost and other barriers to producing and disseminating high-quality disinformation, and support information integrity, including by identifying disinformation. The provision of current and credible information to the public interest media, civil society organisations, fact-checkers and academics will improve the quality of their communications. Open data disclosures and enhanced proactive release systems will foster greater trust in government information.
The OAIC as the regulator responsible for promoting and protecting these important human rights is well placed to work with the community and government to meet the challenges of a rapid paced digital environment and promote productivity and efficiencies through maximising seamless access to information.
Our 2026-29 Strategic Plan articulates our vision as: The protection of personal information and access to government-held information is lawful, transparent, trustworthy, fair, and accountable. We identify 3 strategic impacts that we will strive to achieve to promote and protect information rights:
- Address power and information asymmetries
- Promote information integrity
- Embed fairness, accountability, and transparency in new technology
Improved systems that harness technology to supply information are the arteries that carry information; building the capacity of government as a responsible steward of information is the muscle that moves information between governments and the communities they serve. Together they support information integrity - the heart of our democratic system of government.
