Analysis
Redactions are the Freedom of Information Act requester’s bane. Those black boxes that often hide wide swaths of words when the government finally delivers on a request for public records. While even the most ardent openness advocate will grant that some information — such as Social Security numbers — needs to be redacted, almost all requesters believe the government uses redactions to hide far more than it should.
TL;DR
- Redactions are a major frustration for Freedom of Information Act requesters.
- Black boxes often hide large portions of government documents released to the public.
- While some redactions are acknowledged as necessary for privacy (e.g., Social Security numbers), requesters suspect broader misuse.
- The government is perceived by requesters as potentially hiding excessive information through redactions.