The FOIA became effective in 1967, and its purpose was to provide a statutory basis for public access to official agency information previously restricted from public view.
Through the FOIA, Congress made it clear that the public has the right to know what its government is doing, for an informed public is vital to democracy.
Under the FOIA, official information is available to any person without regard to need for or interest in the material. The Agency and its FOIA professionals are committed to ensuring the fullest possible disclosure of records consistent with the letter and spirit of the law.
At USAGM, Freedom of Information/Privacy Act (FOIA/PA) requests are processed by the FOIA Office, which is located within the Office of the General Counsel. The FOIA Office handles all incoming Agency requests under the overall direction of the Agency’s Chief FOIA Officer (currently the General Counsel) and management of the Agency’s FOIA Officer (currently the Assistant General Counsel for Ethics and Compliance). Typical requests received by the Agency seek records related to procurement actions, lists of credit card purchase holders, audience survey reports, and individual personnel and/or security files.