FOIA Advisor

FOIA News: More on proposed bill to ban foreign FOIA requesters

FOIA News (2015-2023)Allan Blutstein1 Comment

FOIA Reform We Don’t Need: Blocking Foreigners From Using FOIA

By Mike Masnick Techdirt, June 15, 2022

The US Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) system needs plenty of useful reforms to actually work correctly and properly. Despite limited time frames in which the government is required to provide information, they often take years. They regularly redact stuff they shouldn’t. Or refuse to hand over documents they are required to. Generally speaking, the government is not a fan of the kind of transparency that is not just required under the law, but necessary for a functioning government that the public trusts.

Of course, rather than fix any of that… we now have Senators Marco Rubio and Tom Cotton, both of whom have been overshadowed by the bigger, louder, more ridiculous culture warriors in their party, planning to limit FOIA requests only to American citizens, permanent residents and US companies.

Read more here.