FOIA Advisor

Court opinion issued June 3, 2019

Court Opinions (2015-2023)Allan BlutsteinComment

Humane Soc'y of U.S. v. Animal & Plant Health Inspection Serv. (D.D.C.) -- finding that: (1) agency improperly relied on Exemptions 6 and 7(C) to withhold narrative portion of inspection reports, among other items, noting that privacy exemptions do not protect “details about a business’s compliance with regulations and statutes;” further noting that government failed to demonstrate that disclosure would likely invite harassment and stigma; and (2) agency properly relied on Exemptions 6 and 7(C) to withhold licensee addresses and contact information from the inspection documents, as well third-parties’ names, images, and personally identifying information.

Summaries of all published opinions issued since April 2015 are available here.