What is AMI?

Access My Info (AMI) is a web application that enables citizens to request access to their personal information from a variety of companies and government departments. It guides the user via a step-by-step wizard and generates a letter that can be sent to the institution controlling the data.

Who are we?

The AMI project is a collaboration between Open Effect and the Citizen Lab at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy (University of Toronto).

• Open Effect is a Canadian not-for-profit that conducts research and advocacy focused on ensuring that people’s personal data is treated securely and accountably. It builds interactive advocacy tools to empower individuals to learn about and exercise their rights online.
• The Citizen Lab is an interdisciplinary laboratory based at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, University of Toronto, focusing on advanced research and development at the intersection of information and communication technologies (ICTs), human rights, and global security.

AMI has also been released in Hong Kong in a partnership with Dr. Lokman Tsui from Chinese University of Hong Kong, and HK advocacy groups In-media and Keyboard Frontline.

Our Mission

AMI is designed so that Canadians can better understand how their personal information is collected and managed. Canadians demonstrably care about their privacy, but often rely on others — academics, government officials, non-profits — to explain how their information is managed and whether their privacy is at risk. AMI lets Canadians take control by requesting their own personal information and coming to their own conclusions about the appropriateness of telecommunications service providers’ practices.

Funding Acknowledgement

This project was supported by a grant from the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)’s Community Investment Program.