Australia’s Information Commissioner, Elizabeth Tydd, has warned that trusted government information has become more critical than ever as AI-generated content and disinformation proliferate across digital spaces. Speaking on the International Day for Universal Access to Information, observed on 28 September, Tydd said that access to credible government information can help strengthen information integrity and support informed public participation in democratic life. Her remarks arrive at a moment when governments and public institutions are grappling with the consequences of generative artificial intelligence, which can produce convincing text, images, audio and video at vast scale, often making it difficult for citizens to distinguish between authentic and fabricated material. In this environment, Tydd argued, official government records and proactive publication are not administrative formalities but essential public safeguards. “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 underscore a growing consensus among information regulators, democracy advocates and technology policy experts that openness can serve as a bulwark against the erosion of shared facts and public trust.
Tydd’s speech framed information integrity as both a defensive and a constructive force, one that addresses the spread of misinformation and disinformation while also improving the raw material available for artificial intelligence systems. She emphasised the value of proactive disclosure, a practice in which government agencies publish information on their own initiative rather than waiting for freedom of information requests. When official statistics, policies, contracts, environmental data, health advice and other authoritative records are placed in the public domain in accessible formats, they create a reliable reference point for citizens, journalists, researchers and technology developers. The Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, or OAIC, which Tydd leads, said that making authoritative information readily accessible provides a dependable source for both the public and AI systems. This matters because large language models and other AI tools are often trained on vast amounts of internet data that may include rumours, outdated claims, opinion pieces and deliberately false content. Without a strong base of trustworthy information, AI-generated summaries and recommendations can propagate errors and bias, amplifying harm. Government data, by contrast, is subject to checks, quality assurance, legal accountability and public scrutiny, making it a more reliable source for automated systems that answer questions, generate reports or inform decision-making.
Tydd said the increasing demand for government information should be viewed as part of the solution rather than as a problem to be managed, warning that government responsiveness to information-integrity threats may test democratic institutions. In a time when false narratives can gain traction within hours, silence and opacity only create vacuums that misinformation can fill. Conversely, timely and open communication by public authorities can correct the record, reduce uncertainty and give citizens a solid basis for judgement. Tydd argued that “information access and information integrity – in a world that is grappling with misinformation and disinformation – promote our shared democratic principles and structures.” The OAIC is marking this year’s international event under the theme “Transparency + Access = Information Integrity”, a formula that highlights how open government and the right to know form the foundation for trustworthy public communication. The commission identified proactive disclosure, strong recordkeeping and timely access to information as key elements of public trust. These are not separate or merely procedural values. Proactive disclosure means information is available before it is requested. Strong recordkeeping ensures that decisions, decisions and actions are documented in ways that are accurate, complete and preserved over time. Timely access ensures that when information is requested, it is provided without unnecessary delay, because stale information can be as misleading as no information at all.
The OAIC held its flagship International Access to Information event on 21 September at the Museum of Australian Democracy in Canberra, bringing together more than 400 freedom of information practitioners, civil society representatives, information management professionals and Australian Public Service leaders. The event, titled “Upholding information integrity: Combating mis- and dis-information in the Digital Age”, focused on the practical challenges of maintaining credible information in the twenty-first century. It explored how public servants can identify misinformation risks, how access regimes can be modernised for digital-era demands, and how transparency can help counter false narratives that target government institutions. 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. Her remarks responded to concerns that AI and algorithmic systems may require entirely new regulatory models, but they also affirmed that the enduring principles of open government remain central. The choice of the Museum of Australian Democracy as the venue was itself symbolic: the institution is housed in the former Parliament House, a building that represents Australia’s democratic traditions and the principle that public power is accountable to the people. The discussions at the event underscored that the infrastructure of democracy now includes not only courts, parliaments and press freedom but also the everyday practices of records management, proactive publication and freedom of information processing.
The need for accessible government information is strongly reflected in community attitudes. According to last year’s Cross-jurisdictional Information Access Study, 96 per cent of Australians consider the right to access government-held information important or very important. That near-universal support signals that transparency is not a niche concern for journalists or activists but a broadly shared expectation across the Australian public. It also suggests that citizens are acutely aware that government information affects their lives, from health advice and safety warnings to decisions about public spending and environmental regulation. In response to this demand, the OAIC and its counterparts have endorsed a common access-to-information icon for Commonwealth, state and territory government websites. The icon is designed to provide a consistent entry point to government information across all jurisdictions, making it easier for users to locate official records, understand their rights, and submit freedom of information requests. A common icon may seem like a modest step, but it addresses a real problem: Australians seeking government information often must navigate a patchwork of different websites, portals and procedures, which can be confusing and discouraging. By establishing a recognisable symbol and a shared route to information, governments can reduce barriers and encourage more active civic engagement. It also reinforces the message that access to information is an official right rather than a discretionary convenience, and that public institutions are open to scrutiny as a matter of course.
The International Access to Information 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. That gathering will bring together information commissioners, ombudsmen, judges, civil society representatives and officials from around the world to discuss shared approaches to transparency, open government and information integrity. International cooperation is increasingly important because misinformation and disinformation are transnational phenomena, moving across borders through social media platforms, messaging applications and AI-generated content. An unreliable information ecosystem in one country can quickly affect public discourse in another, and the techniques developed by governments and civil society to defend information integrity are genuinely global public goods. Australia’s participation in these international conversations demonstrates that its commitment to open government extends beyond domestic arrangements and includes building alliances with other democracies, supporting emerging access regimes and sharing lessons about inclusive, accountable and resilient information systems. The annual observance of the International Day for Universal Access to Information is therefore not a ceremonial gesture but a reminder that information integrity is central to the health of democratic institutions. As Tydd’s warning makes clear, in an age of generative AI, deepfakes and weaponised falsehoods, the old-fashioned values of transparency, verification and recordkeeping have acquired a new urgency. Governments must not only protect the integrity of their own information but also make that information visible, navigable and useful for all Australians. In doing so, they can help ensure that the public sphere remains grounded in evidence, reason and trust, rather than being overwhelmed by speculation and deception.