Transparency Outsourced as U.S. Hires Vendors for Disclosure Aid

By Danielle Ivory - 2012-10-09T00:00:00Z

The next time you submit a Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S. government, it may end up in the hands of a company you’ve never heard of.

At least 25 federal agencies are outsourcing parts of the FOIA process. The contractors, sometimes using workers with security clearances, are building FOIA software, corresponding with requesters, redacting documents and recommending what information should be withheld.