9. Brazilian Information Act

There is great motivation for opening up government databases in Brazilian and international law. Brazil is a signatory to several international agreements that treat access to information as a right of every citizen, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948. The right to information (below in bold) is provided for in Article 19 of the declaration:

“Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.”

It is understood that any information that is under the state's custody is public, while respecting certain restrictions. This is the spirit of most of the access to information laws around the world, and it is no different in Brazil. As a rule, government databases are considered open. The cases in which opening them is not considered suitable are exceptions. That is why it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with the Brazilian Access to Information Law and its regulations in the State of São Paulo to promote opening up governmental databases consistently and in accordance with legal dictates.