Obama Administration Sets Record For Government Censorship
by Anthony Sibley (AJ) on Apr 2, 2015 | Views: 371 | Score: 3
| Cases in which information requested was fully or partially withheld (%) | Appealed cases in which government admitted wrongfully withholding some information (*approximate* %) | |
|---|---|---|
| Information Requests under Freedom of Information Act | 39 | 33 |
Sources:
bigstory.ap.org
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The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), hailed globally as a model for transparent governance, entitles any person to view most federal government documents. However, in 2014, the Obama administration again set a record for censoring such files or outright denying access to them. Moreover, in nearly 1 in 3 cases that the Administration refused access, a legal challenge forced it to release the requested information. There has been a 9% cut in employees tasked with searching such records. Notwithstanding, President Obama repeatedly promised to make his an uncommonly transparent administration.
Wouldn't it be nice if the government just made things publicly available in the first place instead of forcing citizens to file a request in order to see it? Imagine the economic savings then...
It is unfortunate that the Obama administration pursues censorship and surveillance to the extent that it does, though in many ways it seems like an inevitable trend now that the technology is available.
It definitely runs contrary to the many efforts his administration has made in trying to make things more transparent.