Freedom of Information Act
The 1966 statute giving the public access to federal records
Overview
FOIA establishes the presumption that the public may see agency records, subject to nine exemptions covering national security, privacy, and deliberation. The 1974 amendments, passed over a presidential veto, gave the law teeth with deadlines and judicial review. It is the instrument through which the Church Committee records, MK-Ultra files, and countless scandals surfaced, and it inspired freedom of information laws in over a hundred countries. Its backlogs and fee fights are the running costs of open government. Journalists and scholars file millions of requests, and agencies now publish frequently requested records proactively online.
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