imagine - governmentattic.orggovernmentattic.org/3docs/rummaging_2010.pdfqueries take months, years...
TRANSCRIPT
Imagine
Imagine a gigantic database.
A database of documents.
Every document the U.S. Government has ever created.
That database exists.
It even has a name.
It’s called …
“Every document the U.S. Government has ever created and hasn’t gotten around to throwing
out yet.”
Youcanquerythisdatabasebyusinganobscuresearchenginecalled“FOIA”
FOIAistheFreedomofInformationAct
Electronic
Web
Queries are instant
Search engine is a computerand an algorithm
Tries to be helpful
Paper (mostly)
Postal service (mostly)
Queries take months, years
Search engine is a teamof humans
Tries to be helpful (mostly) …but sometimes comes acrossas petulant, even hostile
Everydocumentinthisdatabasehastwothingsincommon:
• Everydocumentinthedatabasewascreatedwithtaxpayermoney
• Everydocumentinthedatabaseshedslightonwhatyourgovernmentisupto
Butdocumentsinthedatabasestaythereunlessyouaskforthem
Nomechanismyetexiststosystematicallysharetheserecordswiththepublic.
RequestingdocumentsunderFOIAisasociallyuseful,necessary,andperfectlylegalformof“hacking.”
Example:recordsabouttheBPblowout
Whatwe’regoingtolearntoday
• What’saFOIArequest• Howtosubmitone• ToolsandtechniquesforFOIAhacking
We’lldothisbystudyingsomeexamplesfromthewebsiteGovernmentAttic.org,whoseproprietorshavefiledmorethan1,000FOIArequestsinthelastfewyears
AFOIArequestcanbeassimpleasafour‐sentenceletter,emailorfaxd00ds,
OMG, this is totally a request under theFreedom of Information Act.
I request that you provide me with acopy of records regarding <whatever>.
I am an individual requesting thisinformation for noncommercial purposes.
I am willing to pay up to $XX for thisrequest if necessary.
Muchas gracias, Compadres!
J. Random Warez
Muststateit’saFOIArequest
Mustdescriberecordsyouwant
Muststatewillingnesstopayfees
Mustgiveinfofor“feecategory”
(Includeyourreturnaddressandcontactinfo!)
TheFOIAprocess
Mail,fax,oremailrequest
Receiverequest
Logit
Sendackletter
(queue)
Searchfordocs
(queue)
(Declassify?)
Redact
Senddocs
Getackletter
(Get“norecords”letter)
Getgoodies
Norecords?
Weeks
Weeks/m
onths
Mon
ths/years
Reviserequestand/orappeal
You Da Gubmint
(Really?)
Fees:nutsandbolts• Agenciescanchargecertainreasonablesearchandduplicationfees
• Feesbasedonfour“feecategories”
• Mostrequestsendupbeingfreeorafewtensofdollars– …butbigfiles&searchescangetexpensive
• Limityourexposure–stateupfronthowmuchyou’rewillingtopay
• Iffeesarehigh,gettheFOIAofficertoexplainthemtoyouoverthephone
Fees:atollboothusedbysomeAgenciestodeterrequesters
• Feescanbeexpensiveforbigrequests
• SomeAgencieschargehighorerroneousfees
• Knowingthefourfeecategories,beingwillingtoreframerequests,discussingyourrequestwithFOIAstaffandtheirITpeoplecanhelp
• This“Tollbooththeory”explainsmanyoddFOIAsituations
Exemptions
• Agenciesareallowedtoblackout(“redact”)somestuffunderabunchofFOIAexemptions
• Exemptionsrangefromnationalsecuritytoprivacyconcernsto“goaway,that’sinternalstuff”
RedactionslooklikeSwisscheesesprinkledwithgibberish
Swisscheese
Gibberish(Exemptioncodeslikeb1,b2,b7c,…)
(Holeswhereyourdocumenttextshouldbe)
Exemptionsareoftenmisused
• Someexemptionsarequestionable.Theirusedoesn’treallyholdupunderknowledgeablescrutiny.Beskeptical.
• WhenitcomestoFOIA,blesstheirhearts,Agenciesinadvertentlymakeerrors.Alot.
Thethreeexemptionsmostmisused
• Exemptionb(1)–currentlyandproperlyclassifiednationalsecurityinformation
• Exemptionb(2)–internalmaterials
• Exemptionb(5)–legallyprivilegedmaterial;usuallythe“deliberativeprocessprivilege”
Beespeciallyskepticalofthese.
Whatcanyoudo?
• Sendanappealletter– Google“foiaappeal”formoreinfo
• Thedeniallettershouldtellyouwheretosendyourappeal
• AppealsareoftensuccessfulifyouexplainwheretheAgencywentwrong
Goodnews:presumptionofdisclosure
PresidentBushandAttorneyGeneralAshcroftorderedagenciesto:– useFOIAexemptionsaggressivelytowithholdmaterial
PresidentObamaandAttorneyGeneralHolderorderedagenciesto:–releaseasmuchaspossible
–presumereleasewhenindoubt
–releaseevenexemptmaterialifthereis“noforeseeableharm”
2000 - 2008 2009 -
FiveexamplesfromGovernmentAttic.Org
• Non‐commercialwebsitefoundedin2007
• HasfilednumerousFOIArequests
• Asapublicservice,postsdocumentsthataren’tavailableanywhereelse
• Shypeoplebutagreedtobeinterviewed
FBIConfidentialFileRoomDossier
• CollectionofmemosidentifyingFBIfilessosensitivethattheyhadtobestoredinaspecialfileroom
• 1950–1972
• ServesasaroadmaptohistoricallysignificantFBIfiles
• Showsthetensionbetweentheneedtoisolatecertainfilesbutstillbeabletousethem–thisproblemstillexistsintheelectronicage
• Documentsthatdescribeinterestingdocuments
– Permitsrequestsforparticularfilesofinterest–byfilenumber!
FBIConfidentialFileRoomDossierThe file on “Smuggling of AtomicBombs or Parts thereof and OtherWeapons of Mass Destructioninto the United States,” containshighly classified information …regarding United Statesdevelopments in the field ofatomic weapons and estimates ofSoviet developments in the fieldof atomic weapons, together withsuggested countermeasures.”
-- August 1, 1952
(And you thought the term “Weaponof Mass Destruction” was somethingPresident Bush came up with!)
TheFBI’sHighVisibilityMemos
• ProducedwhenevertheFBIhandledaFOIArequestaboutanotableperson
• Thememospointtoanumberofnotablefiles
• GovernmentAtticwebmeistersaskedforthemafterseeingmentionof“highvisfiles”inanotherdocument
• Anotherexampleofdocumentsthatdescribeinterestingdocuments
TheFBI’sHighVisibilityMemos
John Winston Ono Lennon,Deceased Former Member of theBeatles Musical Group:
“The bulk of the documents to bereleased are from a Security Matter –New Left investigatory file. Theinvestigation was initiated uponreceipt of information that Lennonmight engage in activities to disruptthe 1972 Republican NationalConvention …”
-- May 15, 1980
DoDResaleActivitiesBoardofReview
• EstablishedbyCongresstoreviewwhichsexuallyexplicitmagazinesandvideoscouldbesoldorrentedonmilitarybases
• Anexampleofwheregovernmentandfreespeechcollide
• TheBoard’smeetingminutesandagendasanddecisionswererequested
It’sadirtyjob,butsomebody’sgottodoit…
-- DoD Resale Activities Review Board, 1998, p. 80
Andtheverdictwas…
…andabout160others …andabout10others
Verboten! OK!
USAFEntertainmentLiaisonOfficeWeeklyReports
• Army/Navy/AirForce/Marines/CoastGuardallhaveHollywoodoffices(“ELOs”)
• “Theremustbesomesortofperiodicreportingtoshowwhattheseguysweredoing”
• Gotalargenumberofweeklyreports
• AwindowintotheinfluenceDoDhasinHollywood
• Showshowthemilitarybuildsitsbrandthoughtheuseofmoviesandtelevision
USAFEntertainmentLiaisonOfficeWeeklyReports
“Gumball 3000 – Edwards AFBPA referred a producer whoseproject involves music andentertainment stars going on a“Cannonball-like” race from LasVegas to Los Angeles. Theyasked if they could “race” onEdwards runways. According tothe producer the event would beon MTV and made into a feature.SAF/PAYE declined support asnot enough AF involvement towarrant it at this time, plus therace plans to end at a Playboymansion.”
-- October 11, 2005
FEMA’sRAMPDatabase
• TheFederalEmergencyManagementAgencykeepsasetoflessonslearned
• RAMP:RemedialActionManagementProgram
• Showswhatworkedandwhatfailed
• EverythingfromSpaceShuttleChallengeraccidenttofloods/disasters/hurricanes/tornados
• GAgotaprintoutofthedatabaseafteraskingforthelessonslearnedonaflood,seeingamentionofRAMP,andaskingfortheRAMPdatabase
FEMA’sRAMPDatabase
Oneofthousandsofsuggestionsforoperationalimprovement:
•“Insupportofrecenthurricanes,CR’sprimaryfunctionistohandoutflyerstovictims.IfIwereadisastervictimwithoutphone,electricityorsomemeanstogettoadisastercenteretc.andreceivedaflyerinformingmeofthisinformation,Iwouldbeinfuriated.”(Item1604‐I‐12,4/5/2006)
SomeexamplesofitemstheGAdudesrequested
• FOIACaseLogs–listsofFOIArequests
• ContentsofAgencyINTRAnetsites
• ListofInspectorGeneralclosedinvestigations
• Listofagencyvideotapes
• List/CopiesofTSAEmergencyAmendments
• Listofoldeststill‐classifieddocumentsatanagency
• Listofrestrictedopinions(GAO)
• ReportsofanAgencytoCongressnotpostedonline
Documentspointingto
otherdocuments
Agencyself‐identifiedinterestingdocuments
MorethingstheyFOIAed...
• ContentsofFOIATrackingFolders
• InternalAgencynewsletters
• CorrespondencewithMembersofCongress
• ArticlesfromNSATechnicalJournals
• NORAD9/11AirDefenserecordings
• AgencyMemorandaofUnderstanding(MOU/MOA)
• Listsofmovies/booksontheSpaceStation
• ComplaintstotheFCCaboutTVshowsPopularculture
“Peekbehindthescenes”
DatabasesarefairgameunderFOIA
• FOIAappliestoelectronicrecordsanddatabases
• Askingfordigitaldatareducescopying/searchcosts
• AlsomakesiteasiertoshareontheInternet
• DiscussingselectionofdatabasefieldswithagencyITfolkscanhelpovercomeagencyobjections
FOIA+database+web=coolwebsite
Problem:where’stheinterestingstuff?
• It’stoughforanindividualtoknowwheretheinterestingstuffis…– Orhowtoaskforit,evenifyouknowit’sthere
• Agencieshavenoincentivetotellarequesterwheretheinterestingstuffis– Orwhatmagicwordstousetoretrieveit
Solution:getthemtotellyou
• TheGAmuchachoshaveadoptedthegeneraltechniqueofsubmittingqueriesthatspurtheagencyitselftosignalwhereitsowninterestingstuffis
Examples:
• Identifyingrestrictedorunpublishedreports
• Lookingfor“missing”reportorfilenumbers
• Lookingatwhathistoricalrecordsarestillclassified
• Focusingonmaterialwithheldbytheagency
• Seeking“documentsthatidentifyotherdocuments”
Placesyoucangoformoreinformation
• nsarchive.org
• GetMyFBIfile.com
• GetGrandpasFBIfile.com
• OpenTheGovernment.org
• FOI‐Llistservarchives
• GovernmentAttic.org
Apartingchallenge
• Take30secondstothinkaboutsomethingyou’recuriousabout–arecentnewsstory,orwhatever
• Figureoutwhichgovernmentagencymighthavesomethingtodowithit
• Guesswhatlikelydocumentstheymighthave
• Requestthem!Today!
• Thankyounotesarealwaysagoodidea
• PostyourexperiencesontheHOPEForum!
Appendix
PrioritiesofaTypicalFOIAOffice
• Minimizeadministrativehassle• RebuffPITArequests• Minimizeagencyembarrassment/hassle• Notgiveupagency“property”(webuiltit–whyshouldtheygetitforfree?)
• Notreleasesensitivedocuments• Protectthepublictreasury• Whittleawaythebacklogofrequests
PrioritiesofaTypicalFOIARequester
• Obtaininteresting/usefulrecords(highrelevancy)
• Atminimumcostorfees(lowsystemprocessing)
• Andgetthemreasonablyquickly(lowlatency)