FBI Takes a Step Backwards on Transparency

The post FBI Takes a Step Backwards on Transparency appeared first on WhoWhatWhy.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), a federal agency already considered notoriously opaque by Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) experts, is taking steps that will further limit the public’s access to its files.

As of March 1, the FBI will no longer be accepting FOIA requests by email. Instead, requesters will have to submit requests via fax, “snail mail,” or to an online portal hosted by the FBI called eFOIPA (Freedom of Information/Privacy Act). The FBI says the portal will “significantly increase efficiency” by automating the process for the receipt of and the opening of requests.

As originally proposed, the portal would have placed a series of Draconian restrictions and requirements on FOIA requesters. But there is some good news. Thanks to a public outcry, the FBI backpedaled on the most severe limitations that were initially placed on requesters who use the eFOIPA portal. Even so, limiting the method by which the public can gain access to government records is troubling to government “sunshine” advocates.

Perhaps inadvertently, the FBI’s partial reversal has highlighted the need for and effectiveness of strong disclosure laws.    

Read more http://whowhatwhy.org/2017/03/02/fbi-takes-step-backwards-transparency/