Our team requests the records associated with registered tech lobbying communications.
To gain a deeper qualitative understanding of the subject-matter and context of platform lobbying in Canada, we request the records of (government documents relating to) lobbying communications and other interactions between platforms and the federal government. That is, we submit access to information requests for records relating to the registered lobbying communications between our selected tech companies and any federal official covered by the Access to Information Act. About sixty-three, or 22 percent, of our requests have returned records. This set of access to information requests is called our “tech lobby archive.”
We also request previously completed access to information requests from all departments covered by the Access to Information Act where the original request contained relate to our set of technology companies and case studies. That is, we re-request other people’s access to information requests through the Government of Canada’s open registry of ATI requests. This set of access to information documents (the “re-request archive”) contains records relating to both the sorts of oral and arranged communications designed to influence laws and policies that would be included in the lobbying registry, but also written communications such as email exchanges and notes pertaining to unplanned meetings. They also encompass records of workshops held, conferences attended, and visits to company sites. Thus, the re-request archive is both larger and broader than the tech lobby archive.
To access our data and archives, please get in touch! We’ve provided instructions on exploring our library of government documents here.