Will FOIAonline have Chilling Effects on Government Information Seekers?

• Main Author: Michaelene Cox
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Athens Institute for Education and Research 2020-07-01
• Series: Athens Journal of Mass Media and Communications
• Subjects: transparency; privacy; trust; freedom of information; foiaonline
• Online Access: https://www.athensjournals.gr/media/2020-6-3-1-Cox.pdf

This study examines an online pilot program introduced by the US federal government in 2012 to help fulfill mandates of the Freedom of Information Act. The FOIAonline program has not been subject yet to academic scrutiny. The study herein aims to initiate discussion about anticipated and unforeseen legal and political implications of FOIAonline, particularly in regard to user privacy. This preliminary examination serves to encourage further dialogue about the merits of some government online services, and in doing so contributes to a growing body of knowledge about institutional cynicism. The qualitative case study draws on the theoretical lens of threat avoidance to explain why public demands for government transparency can be accompanied by unintended corollaries. FOIAonline is a double-edged sword in which access to information is an essential defense of democracy and at the same time can wield threats to individual rights. The paper illustrates that privacy rights of government information seekers are increasingly compromised by unrestricted access to online FOIA requests and responses. Public scrutiny of individuals and groups who request government files will likely continue to discourage participation in the e-government program. However, FOIAonline can gain added value for agencies and requesters alike by minimizing anxieties of government information seekers. In an effort to further streamline government services, architects of the FOIAonline program hope to increase voluntary participation of US federal agencies; further, the program is being considered as a model for adoption by other country governments. This study has implications for both domestic and international governing bodies by offering practitioners insight into the challenges of refining and expanding the pilot program.