Category «Freedom of Information»

White House voluntary disclosure policy – visitor access records

White Hosue Policy: “The President has decided to increase governmental transparency by implementing a voluntary disclosure policy governing White House visitor access records. The White House will release, on a monthly basis, all previously unreleased WAVES and ACR access records that are 90 to 120 days old. For example, records created in January 2010 will …

Subjects: E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents

Federal Reserve Board Must Release Bank Bailout Info to News Organizations

Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press:” The string of FOIA lawsuits for release of records of the government’s emergency lending programs finally saw its first victory Monday. The Federal Reserve Board must release to Bloomberg News records identifying the financial firms it loaned bailout funds to as well as the assets or amounts put …

Subjects: Courts, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

Newly Declassified CIA Histories on Wars in Indochina

National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book No. 283: “The Central Intelligence Agency participated in every aspect of the wars in Indochina, political and military, according to newly declassified CIA histories. The six volumes of formerly secret histories (the Agency’s belated response to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request by National Security Archive senior fellow …

Subjects: Freedom of Information, Government Documents

CCR, Amnesty and NYU Receive Docs Cheney Wanted Declassified to Justify Torture

News release: “The [redacted] documents [below] were released through FOIA litigation by the Center for Constitutional Rights, Amnesty International USA, and the Center for Human Rights and Global Justice at New York University School of Law seeking disclosure of information concerning “disappeared” detainees, including “ghost” and unregistered prisoners. The original FOIA requests were filed with …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

EPIC Forces Disclosure of Government Contracts with Social Media Companies, Privacy Terms Missing

“In response to an EPIC Freedom of Information Act Request, the Government Services Administration released several contracts between the federal government and web 2.0 companies, including agreements with Blip.tv, Blist, Google (YouTube), Yahoo (Flickr), and MySpace. EPIC also obtained amendments to agreements with Facebook, Slideshare.net, Vimeo.com, and AddThis.com. The contracts do not address the privacy …

Subjects: Blogs, E-Commerce, E-Government, Freedom of Information, Privacy, Search Engines

"Tool uses crowdsourcing to gain insight into what users around the world are experiencing in terms of Web accessibility"

“Herdict is a project of the Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University. Herdict is a portmanteau of ‘herd’ and ‘verdict’ and seeks to show the verdict of the users (the herd). Herdict Web seeks to gain insight into what users around the world are experiencing in terms of web accessibility; or in …

Subjects: Censorship, Freedom of Information, Internet, Knowledge Management

NYT Posts Unreleased Government Report on Dangers of Using Cell Phones While Driving

“The following body of research, conducted by the Department of Transportation and completed in 2003, has not been made public until now. The documents pertain to the safety of using wireless communication devices while driving. The New York Times obtained the research from the Center for Auto Safety and Public Citizen, two consumer advocacy groups …

Subjects: Freedom of Information, Government Documents

Systematic Overclassification of Defense Information Poses Challenge for President Obama's Secrecy Review

“Pentagon classification authorities are treating classified historical documents as if they contain today’s secrets, rather than decades-old information that has not been secret for years. Today the National Security Archive posted multiple versions of the same documents—on issues ranging from the 1973 October War to anti-ballistic missiles, strategic arms control, and U.S. policy toward China—that …

Subjects: Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

New Report Shines Light on Secrecy Labeling of Government Information

News release, July 8, 2009: “Today, OMB Watch published a report that explores the impacts of secrecy labeling practices within the federal government. The report, Controlled Unclassified Information: Recommendations for Information Control Reform, shines a light on how government withholds unclassified information from the American people and offers recommendations on how to balance the need …

Subjects: Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

EFF Demands Public Release of FBI Surveillance Rules

News release: “The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) filed suit against the Department of Justice [on June 24, 2009], demanding the public release of the surveillance guidelines that govern investigations of Americans by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The FBI’s Domestic Investigative Operational Guidelines went into effect in December of 2008 and detail the Bureau’s …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, E-Government, E-Mail, Freedom of Information, Libraries, Privacy

ACLU: CIA Delays Release Of Inspector General Report On Torture

News release: “The CIA informed the American Civil Liberties Union that it would delay by one week its release of a reprocessed version of the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on the CIA’s interrogation and detention program [The heavily redacted version of the report released last year is available here.] The CIA turned …

Subjects: Civil Liberties, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Legal Research

Newly-declassified Report for 9/11 Commission Focused on Agency Info Sharing

Secrecy News: “The rise of “the wall” between intelligence and law enforcement personnel that impeded the sharing of information within the U.S. government prior to September 11, 2001 was critically examined in a detailed monograph (pdf) that was prepared in 2004 for the 9/11 Commission. It is the only one of four staff monographs that …

Subjects: E-Government, Freedom of Information, Government Documents, Knowledge Management, Legal Research