A recent Times investigation illustrated that the Ministry of Justice has been monitoring journalists who make information requests. In the UK, the right to request for and access recorded information managed by public authorities is safeguarded by the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) and Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act. As per law, all UK public authorities are required to respond to information requests.
The findings of the Times’ research indicate that there’s been an alarming delay in the release of data ‘until clearance is given by political appointees’. The investigation demonstrates that press officers and conservative political appointees possess influence over whether disclosures can be made, and also collates background profiles on journalists who make such requests.
The impact and significance of the FOIA in identifying cases of internal corruption was also discussed by Freedom of Information experts including Claire Miller and Martin Rosenbaum in a recent panel discussion hosted by OpenDemocracy. They opined that the UK government is increasingly being slow and unclear in their transparency responses.
Attention was also called upon these pressing issues by Big Brother Watch. They highlighted similar problems concerning freedom of information and speech, particularly a supposedly covert ‘government disinformation unit’ that allegedly monitors political dissents and suppresses free speech online.
Notably, Lord Clark, the principal author of the FOIA, has requested a parliamentary review following ‘serious data breaches by police forces in responses to FOI requests’.
The Times report speculates that underfunding of the Information Commissioner’s Office could be one of the reasons behind such treatment of FOI rights since it is the body that holds the government accountable. The report concludes with a call for greater public scrutiny and strengthened vigilance on the matter.