Trusted government information has become more important as AI-generated content and disinformation proliferate online, Australian information commissioner Elizabeth Tydd has warned.
Speaking on the International Day for Universal Access to Information on 28 September, Tydd said access to credible government information can help strengthen information integrity and support informed public participation.
“Information integrity is the antidote to information disorder,” Tydd said.
“When public authorities proactively release information, and it’s easy to find, people are less likely to rely on unofficial or unreliable sources, and more likely to make informed decisions based upon credible government data. This data will also inject accuracy into AI-generated outputs.”
The comments come as governments and organisations face growing challenges from AI-generated misinformation and disinformation. The OAIC said making authoritative information readily accessible can provide a reliable source for both the public and AI systems.
Tydd said the increasing demand for government information should be viewed as part of the solution rather than a problem, with government responsiveness to information-integrity threats potentially testing democratic institutions.
“Information access and information integrity – in a world that is grappling with misinformation and disinformation – promote our shared democratic principles and structures,” Tydd said.
The OAIC is marking this year’s international event under the theme “Transparency + Access = Information Integrity”, with proactive disclosure, strong recordkeeping and timely access identified as key elements of public trust.
The OAIC held its flagship IAID event on 21 September at the Museum of Australian Democracy, bringing together more than 400 FOI practitioners, civil society representatives, information management professionals, and Australian Public Service leaders.
The event, “Upholding information integrity: Combating mis- and dis-information in the Digital Age”, focused on the challenges of maintaining credible information in the 21st century.
Freedom of information commissioner Alice Linacre said the fundamentals of transparency and access would remain important regardless of technological change.
“Through proactive disclosure of information, strong recordkeeping and timely access to information, trust is built,” Linacre said.
The need for accessible government information is reflected in community attitudes, with 96 per cent of Australians considering the right to access government-held information important or very important, according to last year’s Cross-jurisdictional Information Access Study.
The OAIC and its counterparts have also endorsed a common access to information icon for Commonwealth, state, and territory government websites, designed to provide a consistent entry point to government information across jurisdictions.
The IAID program will continue through 4 October, with Linacre due to participate on 29 September in the International Conference of Information Commissioners and International Day for Universal Access to Information 2026 in Sierra Leone.
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