The
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
The U.S. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a law ensuring public
access to U.S. government records. FOIA carries a presumption of disclosure;
the burden is on the government - not the public - to substantiate
why information may not be released. Upon written request, agencies
of the United States government are required to disclose those records,
unless they can be lawfully withheld from disclosure under one of
nine specific exemptions in the FOIA. This right of access is ultimately
enforceable in federal court.
Text of the FOIA
English
Japanese
What's New
2007/05/03
Archive
and Openness Advocates Urge Court Scrutiny of Government Secrecy Claims
Amicus brief argues against deference in warrantless wiretapping case
2007/03/22
Congress Asks Archive General
Counsel to Testify on Reducing Pseudo-Secrets
2007/03/16
Air Force
Wins 2007 Rosemary Award for Worst FOIA Performance
2007/03/14
Archive Testifies
in Support of Senate FOIA Reform Efforts
Archive
General Counsel Testifies that FOIA Executive Order Does Not Go Far
Enough to Enforce Compliance with FOIA; Congress Must Mandate Solutions
for Delay, Agency Obstruction on FOIA
2007/03/13
Are
We Safer in the Dark?
Archive
Director Tom Blanton in USA Today
2007/03/12
File Not
Found: Agencies Violate Law on Freedom of Information
The
Knight Open Government Survey
2007/03/01
The Presidential Records
Act in Crisis
Six Years Since White House Intervened, Five Years of
"Pure Delay"
2007/02/14
House
Subcommittee Asks Archive for FOIA Reform Advice
Archive General Counsel Testifies that Congress Should Mandate Solutions;
Cites 17 Year Delays, Lost Requests, and Agency Obstruction of FOIA
2007/02/07
CIA
Proposed Rule on FOIA Fees Would Burden Requesters and the Agency
National Security Archive Warns that Fee Disuputes Obstruct Open Government
2006/10/19
Attorney
General's Report Ignores Serious Problems in Agency FOIA Programs
National
Security Archive Calls for Congressional Oversight
2006/07/04
The
Freedom of Information Act at 40
LBJ Refused Ceremony, Undercut Bill with Signing Statement
2006/07/04
Legislative
History of FOIA
Copies of the key legislative history documents for the FOIA.
2006/03/14
Pseudo-Secrets
A
Freedom of Information Audit of the U.S. Government's Policies on Sensitive
Unclassified Information
2006/03/12
A
FOIA Request Celebrates Its 17th Birthday
A
Report on Federal Agency FOIA Backlog
2004/11/23
Veto Battle 30 Years Ago Set
Freedom of Information Norms
Scalia, Rumsfeld, Cheney Opposed Open Government Bill
2004/07/04
The Freedom of Information Act
on its 38th Anniversary
