D. Private archives

Businesses and individuals and other privately-owned institutions hold their own records. Often these are treated as personal or corporate private property.

Our laws do have provisions that state that information held by private persons and businesses that is needed for the public good must be placed in the public domain.

Most often, it is left to those asking to see the private information to prove that it is indeed in the public interest. This may mean long and expensive legal battles, which civil society groups struggle to undertake. (Only 4 % of all PAIA requests are for private records; and over 60% of these are denied access.)

Corporate records

A business is obliged to keep some records, such as tax information,and provide to government officials.

But corporates and businesses often argue that their records need to be kept secret, as these hold vital information about how the company succeeds in the marketplace.

Some business people, like some government officials, may have other reasons not to make records public....

...give my records to the public? That is NOT my idea of good business practice. Publish my mom’s papers? Its too personal, it would cause a fight with all my aunts...

Archives held by private institutions

Archives are a key source of knowledge. However, some institutions see compiling and preserving archives as a source of income. Many private institutions, including some universities and especially those based in Europe and North America, charge fees for researchers to access their archives. This makes it hard for people who are poor and in the Global South to share this knowledge.