viranomaistietojen

Viranomaistietojen is a Finnish term referring to information produced or held by public authorities in Finland. It encompasses documents, records, data sets, emails, reports and other materials produced in the course of public administration. The concept underpins transparency and accountability in government by identifying information that the public can access.

The legal framework is the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (Laki viranomaisten toiminnan julkisuudesta), commonly referred to as the julkisuuslaki. The law establishes the general right of access to official information and sets out procedures for how requests are handled. In practice, most information held by authorities should be accessible, including material in electronic form, subject to certain exemptions. Access is not absolute; it must be balanced against other interests such as privacy, security, and business secrets.

Exemptions and limitations cover several areas. Personal data protected by data protection law (including the GDPR) may limit disclosure when revealing information would infringe privacy. Other grounds for withholding information include national security and defense, law enforcement, investigative secrecy, trade secrets, and sensitive commercial information. In addition, deliberations and preliminary documents may be partially withheld to protect the decision-making process.

Requests for viraninomaistietojen are typically made to the relevant authority, either in writing or, in many cases, orally. Authorities must respond in a timely manner, often within a couple of weeks, and may grant partial or full access, or deny access with a stated justification. If a requester disagrees with the decision, they may appeal to an administrative court, and in matters involving personal data, may contact the Data Protection Ombudsman. The system aims to promote openness while safeguarding individual rights and public interests.