Have I ever told you one of my favourite political-actions is to file Freedom of Information/Access To Information requests and then riff on the results? It's good times.

I just got notification that my most recent FOI will be proceeding. It was hung up as the Office determined whether I was worthy of having the fees (~$100) waved. It looks like they might wave them. I'll know shortly and should have a response to my request, or more likely, a request to extend their search time, in the next 30 days.
#bcPoli #Rail #VancouverIsland #Transportation #IslandRail #FOI #ATI #CanPoli

Would a beautiful piece of reporting like this be possible in Ireland? https://www.salemreporter.com/2023/08/28/new-details-emerge-on-how-salem-police-managed-dea-crash-information/ #reporters #police #phonerecords #FOI #Ireland

‘Jon Baines, senior data protection specialist at law firm Mishcon de Reya, said the current state of FoI reflected years of under enforcement by the information commissioner.

‘He said a lot of government departments had failed to comply with their statutory obligations because “they realised there was no sanction for not getting it right”.’

#FoI #DataProtection

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/aug/18/lord-clark-calls-for-freedom-of-information-review-after-data-breaches

Interesting call for the ICO to be given powers to fine public bodies for FOI failures, at the same time as the ICO has largely given up on using the fining powers it’s already got under data protection law.

It’s not always about the powers you’ve got, but how you use them

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2023/aug/18/lord-clark-calls-for-freedom-of-information-review-after-data-breaches

#FOI #gdpr

Bit of a blunder leads to a significant data breach

PSNI apologises to staff after major data breach
https://www.rte.ie/news/ulster/2023/0808/1398772-psni-data/

#privacy #dataBreach #security #foi #freedomOfInformation

The case involved an #FOI request by Professor #HwanLin to the London School of Economics (#LSE) seeking information about a public statement made by the LSE regarding a degree awarded to #Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen. The LSE declined to issue a refusal notice, stating the request was vexatious under section 14 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

✍ #ClaudeAI, @ChatGPT Plus
🔗 https://en.eatnews.net/article-1/20230807-1/

I really wish #BClobbyingBot was on here. It did a great job on tracking #BCNDP & #BritishColumbia #politicians who spent years ignoring citizens & telling us they didn't have enough time to meet/talk to their own #constituents but they had more than enough time to meet & take bribes from #craptalism corporate #lobbyists in shady backroom deals.

Let's be real here. Backroom lobbyists deals are straight up #bribery of public office folks. #NDP in BC also turned #FOI into fee based structure 🤡

Freedom of Information-knowers!

Is there an appeals process regarding fees? Or any other way to challenge them?

One Council is citing 19 hours of search and retrieval, amounting to €308 in fees.

Obviously, this is b.s., as a phone call to the relevant manager will clarify what and where relevant records can be found.

(Unless conceding to far-right agitators is a regular occurrence for that local authority.)

#Books #Libraries #LGBTQ #Article19 #FreedomOfExpression #FOI #FreedomOfInformation

I blogged about how much casework #Newham councillors are doing, according to data released under #FOI https://forestgate.net/2023/07/28/they-work-for-you-kind-of/

I finally got around to emailing the OCO and IHREC about this. I felt strongly that restricting access by young people to books needed to be raised with them.

https://joan.ink/2023/07/27/an-unlawful-interference-with-the-right-to-freedom-of-expression/

#Books #Libraries #LGBTQ #Article19 #HumanRights #FreedomOfExpression #FreedomOfInformation #DataProtection #FOI #FOIRequest #LocalGovernment

I made an #FOI request to the BC government. There was a $20 processing fee. After they evaluated it, they assessed an additional $90 fee for retrieval and processing of the records. It was not a huge or unusual request. They do inform you that you can request all fees be waived due to financial hardship or if the information is of public interest (see link) but it is another step. Another barrier. It's wrong, and works against "Freedom" of Information. #bcpoli #cdnpoli
https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/96165_06#section75

I have, naturally, submitted an FOI Request to each of the 30 local authorities in the country.

#Books #Libraries #LGBTQ #Article19 #HumanRights #FreedomOfExpression #FreedomOfInformation #FOI #FOIRequest #LocalGovernment

In a surprising turn of events, Judge Sophie Buckley of the #UK's Upper #Tribunal has ordered a full hearing for an appeal of the British Library's denial of a Freedom of Information (#FOI) request related to the controversial #PhD awarded to #TsaiIngWen, the President of the Republic of #China.

✍️ #ClaudeAI
🔗 https://en.eatnews.net/article-1/20230723-2/

#CabinetOffice excludes journalists from its Freedom of Information group

#FOI

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-information/journalists-excluded-from-cabinet-office-freedom-of-information-group/

REVEALED: Experts condemn a ‘missed opportunity’ after government fails to invite them to new group reviewing FOI

The UK Cabinet Office has excluded journalists from its Freedom of Information group.

#FOI #Transparency #UKNews #Journalism

https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/freedom-of-information/journalists-excluded-from-cabinet-office-freedom-of-information-group/?utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=newsie_social

Sheffield City Council has raked in more than £76,000 over the last five years from filming taking place across the city for films and television shows including The Full Monty TV reboot and The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, according to figures, obtained by The Star using the #FOI Act.

During 2022/23, the council received 49 requests to film across the city, which generated a total of £22,572. The figure is not broken down by production.

https://www.thestar.co.uk/news/people/filmed-in-sheffield-ps76k-bonanza-from-tv-shows-and-movies-shot-in-the-city-from-the-full-monty-to-the-regime-4205033

How much are your councillors claiming in petrol/diesel expenses? Or are they all very committed to active travel/green lifestyles?

The Oxford Mail sent an #FOI request for county councillors’ expenses between January 2022 and June 2023.

The highest claimants were Andy Graham, leader of West Oxfordshire District Council, who claimed £1,579.95 for 3,511 miles, Freddie van Mierlo, who claimed £1,033.65 for 2,297 miles & Liam Walker who claimed £1,268.55 for 2,819 miles.

https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/23630370.oxfordshire-councillors-petrol-diesel-expenses-revealed/

An #FOI has revealed the areas with the best access to allotments in England. The council area with the most allotment plots per 100,000 people was the borough of South Tyneside.

It revealed the cheapest average plots in England are offered by Stockport Borough Council at an average of £17 per year. The most expensive area was Rochdale in the North West, where a patch to grow your own produce will cost £382 a year.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/property/article-12247605/Cheapest-allotments-England-revealed.html

The number of people contacting the DVLA worried about a driver's ability behind the wheel is rising, a BBC #FOI request shows.

In 2022, 48,754 notifications were submitted to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency from across Great Britain with concerns over a person's fitness to drive. That is up 82% from 26,716 in 2021.

Experts said older people should plan their retirement from driving and relatives should be having "difficult conversations" with loved ones.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-66053510

Old story (#FOI), new method.

Figures obtained by the student newspaper The Tab show that 377 UK university students have faced a probe for using #ChatGPT to cheat on their coursework.

Of those, at least 146 have so far been found ‘guilty’ – with investigations still ongoing at dozens of universities. The data, released under the Freedom of Information Act, also show up to 40% of all UK universities had experienced the issue.

https://metro.co.uk/2023/07/05/nearly-400-caught-using-chatgpt-to-plagiarise-uni-assignments-19075163/