FIOA (Freedom of Information Act)

The Freedom of Information Act also commonly known as FIOPA (Freedom of Information/ Privacy Act) is the law that allows citizens of the United States of America to request information from the federal government and agencies like the FBI that operate under a federal government. FIOA is only applicable to the records and data which are gathered by Federal agencies. According to the act general public cannot have the access to the records which are held by Courts, Congress, and local government agencies. Federal agencies like the FBI are required to provide the requested information to the general public unless it exploits FIOPA (Freedom of Information/Privacy Act) one of nine exemptions.

 The nine exemptions of FIOA 

 1-National defense or foreign policy information.

 2-Information on Internal personal rules and practices of an agency.

 3-Information exempted from release by statute.

 4-Trade secrets or financial information which could harm the business interest of a company.

 5-Information bartered between agencies. 

 6-Individuals medical information.

 7-Information gathered for law enforcement purposes.

 8-Geological information and data.

 9-Information or data gathered for the use of agency to regulate or guide organizations.

 Like any other Federal Agency of the United States FBI creates and keeps the records of its daily functioning. These records generally consist of policy guides, investigative files, and certain individuals’ data. These records are available for the citizens of the United States of America to preview on the FBI’s electronic FOIA Library. FBI’s FOIA library consists of nearly 6,700 documents and other media which are scanned from paper and converted into digital form so you can access them from anywhere in the world.

 Types of Records provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation on the Vault:

 -Civil rights 

 -counterterrorism 

 -Organized Crime 

 -Public Corruption

 -Foreign Counterintelligence

 -Gangster Era 

 -Extremist groups

 -Out of the ordinary phenomenon 

 Request for the Records 

According to the Freedom of information Act (FIOA), an American citizen can request the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for information regarding any organization, historical events, living or dead individuals, and investigations conducted which are not already available on The Vault. You can use the following options to submit the Freedom of Information Act request:

 1-Submit your FOIA request letter by following the instructions mentioned on U.S. Department of Justice Certification of Identity Form DOJ-361. The following information should be mentioned in the Request letter.

-Name and mailing address.

 -Phone number and email address is optional 

 -Detail of the particular record which you want to obtain.

Requesting information about another living person will not be provided unless you provide evidence of the person’s written consent. 

 Requesting information about a deceased individual will not be provided until you provide proof of the death. 

 2- Submit your request via the eFOIA portal which allows you to submit your request electronically and the Bureau will mail you the requested information file at your mailing address.

Conclusion

The Federal Bureau of investigation is an integral part of the United States crime management system. It helps to maintain the records which are not available but can be accessed upon request to the department. The request could be electronically or in person but there must be a reason why the data is been looked upon by the person. In particular cases, such as judicial records or state secrets, data is not provided to the general public to ensure the best interests of the state. The FBI works according to the FOIA Act and only deals with the things that are presented in the statute. This statute governs the conduct and accessibility of information to people with a limited constraint. However, everything is done to ensure the safety of citizens.

Frequently asked questions 

 1-What are the normal operating hours of eFOIPA?

 eFOIPA portal operates 24 hours a day and seven days a week.

 2-Can I submit more than one request per day on the eFOIPA portal?

 There is no limit to the submission of requests per day.

 3-Can the eFOIPA portal be accessed on mobile phones?

 Yes, the eFOIPA system is mobile-friendly.

 4-Can I request the information of another living person?

 To request the information of another individual you need to provide the person’s written consent otherwise information will not be disclosed.