3 comments on “What Are The Impacts Of The Freedom Of Information Act To A Business?”

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  TX Cyclone

  October 1, 2010 at 4:54 am

  Can you provide more details? A lot would depend on what type of business you are and what information may be sought from you.

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  Answerman

  October 1, 2010 at 5:39 am

  It is a freakin pain in the butt to manage. Further, it can open a company’s proprietary information (i.e. technology or costs) which companies consider business sensitive.

  There are circumstances where FOIA protects employees and investors such as ENRON, when there is found to be impropriety in business practice, or outright fraud.

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  Wendy H

  October 1, 2010 at 5:56 am

  One of ther main problems companies/organisations are finding with the “Freedom of information Act” is its time consuming and costly to comply with.

  I will use the UK Police as an example, as I am in the UK.

  The press are sending in countless enquiries about the same offence, requesting information about

  example

  Ethnic minorities arrested.
  How long they spent in custardy.
  Age of Defendant.
  Were they legally represented while questioned.
  Were they legally represented in court.
  Outcome of the case.
  Have they reoffended.

  *Stupid things like how many people are arrested on Mondays*

  They can ask as many questions as they like and the answer to their questions have got to be responded to within a laid down timescale. (no doubt its different in each country/state)

  The manpower needed to collate this information is high and the budget set asside to deal with this was grossly under estimated.

  Sometimes the information is not available in a simple “download” so must be manually found, checked, adjusted to a downloadable format.

  The staff who have/had the required skilles may have to have be employed to do a job, which brings no financial benefit to the organiseation.

  Thats why when someone is arrested the Police they have to spend so much time filling in forms, to try and ensure that any information is recordable to comply with this format and the law.

  You do not have to pay to use the service in the UK and there have been press campaigns encourageing citizens to inundate establishments requesting usless information.

  Failure to comply can lead to fines and bad press.