FOIA Archives

Elon Musk, who oversees the Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wears a “Tech Support” t-shirt as he speaks during the first cabinet meeting of Trump’s second term, on Feb. 26, 2025. (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

DOGE must comply with expedited request to release records, judge rules

Elon Musk’s group is likely subject to federal records law, U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper said Monday.

Mar 11, 2025 By Matt Bracken

Democratic lawmakers speak during a rally outside USAID headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Feb. 3, 2024. (Scoop News Group photo by Caroline Nihill)

New email language may shield more USAID communications from public view

Two agency sources say their emails now include a “sensitive but unclassified” designation.

Feb 20, 2025 By Rebecca Heilweil

More than 1,300 devices have been reported missing to USAID, document shows

Mobile devices accounted for the vast majority of lost devices reported at America’s leading foreign aid organization.

Jul 24, 2024 By Rebecca Heilweil

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) building — A view of the IRS building in Washington, D.C. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images)

IRS defends use of biometric verification for online FOIA filers

The tax agency directs users to file public records requests through ID.me, a tool that has sparked concerns in Congress and from privacy advocates.

Jun 10, 2024 By Rebecca Heilweil

Photo of Harry S. Truman Federal Building, headquarters of the Department of State — Harry S. Truman Federal Building, headquarters of the Department of State (Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress)

How the State Department used AI and machine learning to revolutionize records management

A pilot approach helped the State Department streamline the document declassification process and improve the customer experience for FOIA requestors.

May 16, 2024 By Scoop News Group

Tech issues are part of the problem — and solution — for FOIA backlog, GAO finds

A new report from the congressional watchdog finds a host of technical problems plaguing FOIA officers, who want standardized tech upgrades to help reduce a backlog that…

Mar 15, 2024 By Matt Bracken

Some agencies fall behind on FOIA.gov interoperability requirements

Agencies must update their public records systems in order to ensure their systems work with FOIA.gov, a requirement established in a 2019 White House memo.

Sep 15, 2023 By Rebecca Heilweil

National Archives discloses planned AI uses for record management

The records agency wants to use AI systems for auto filling metadata and responding to FOIAs, according to an inventory of the technology.

Aug 25, 2023 By Madison Alder Rebecca Heilweil

The Theodore Roosevelt Federal Building that houses the Office of Personnel Management headquarters is shown June 5, 2015 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Congressional inquiries to OPM have surged

OPM’s Congressional, Legislative, and Intergovernmental Affairs branch received more than 9,000 congressional inquiries in 2022, compared with more than 3,000 in 2020.

Aug 7, 2023 By Rebecca Heilweil

Pink banners adorn The National Archives Building on the first day of the National Cherry Blossom Festival and the first weekend of Spring on March 20, 2021 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Shannon Finney/Getty Images)

National Archives digitizes 200 million pages of government records

As part of its latest strategic plan, NARA intends to move a total of 500 million pages online by 2026.

Oct 27, 2022 By Nihal Krishan