Lmst

https://www.roanokerambler.com/google-strives-keep-data-center-botetourt-county-water-use-secret-judge-orders-records-released/ “Public participation in the data center discussion on a local level is especially critical, given that this is an industry still in its adolescence, with virtually no state-wide regulations” #Virginia #CleanWater #DataCenter #Botetourt #secrecy #FreedomOfInformation #Google

The Court of Appeal has found the Chief Constable of Northamptonshire in contempt over body-worn video footage disclosure failures

https://informationrightsandwrongs.com/2025/11/13/chief-constable-in-contempt-over-bwv-footage-disclosure-failures/

#policing #UK #FreedomOfInformation #EvidenceDisclosure

Environment law overhaul apiece with Labor’s executive dominance

While the debate over Labor’s proposed overhaul of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is rightly focused…
#NewsBeep #News #Headlines #AU #Australia #environment #environmentprotectionandbiodiversityconservationact #freedomofinformation #integrity #Politicaldonations #Politics #transparency
https://www.newsbeep.com/218378/

Bersamin: Only ‘legitimate reasons’ should justify access to SALNs

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://news.bomboradyo.com/bersamin-only-legitimate-reasons-should-justify-access-to-salns/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=bersamin-only-legitimate-reasons-should-justify-access-to-salns

<p><strong>MANILA</strong> – Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on Saturday emphasized that access to the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALN) of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Cabinet officials should only be granted for “legitimate reasons,” citing the need to protect their privacy and security.</p>

<p>This came as Malacañang expressed caution over calls for the public release of the President’s and his Cabinet’s SALNs, despite Marcos Jr.’s earlier openness to making his own records accessible.</p>

<p>“There are guidelines that must be followed,” Bersamin said in a chance interview. “We cannot just allow the indiscriminate freedom to access these SALNs. They contain details that might compromise the safety and security of public officials.”</p>

<p>Bersamin clarified that the Palace is not outrightly denying access to the documents but is implementing control measures to prevent misuse.</p>

<p>“Our rules require that any person requesting a SALN should provide a good and legitimate reason,” he said, noting that even as a former chief justice, he witnessed strict confidentiality measures for the same purpose.</p>

<p>Under the current administration, Bersamin said Cabinet members are required to submit their SALNs to the Office of the Executive Secretary, where they are “entitled to a level of security and privacy.”</p>

<p>He added that while legitimate requests will be accommodated, certain redactions will be made.</p>

<p>“If the rea

Only one prosecution made after 15,195 wood-burning complaints in a year in England https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/22/only-one-prosecution-wood-burning-complaints-year-england #Freedomofinformation #Localgovernment #Airpollution #Environment #Pollution #England #Health #UKnews

Meanwhile, #BackInTheUSColony, local #assholes in the legislature want to make #government transparency and access to public information harder.

> With Reckless Disregard for the Truth https://periodismoinvestigativo.com/2025/10/reckless-disregard-for-the-truth/

#PuertoRico #FreedomOfInformation #GovDocs #fuckery #corruption #MastodonPR

The fledgling UN tried to rein in mass-scale misinformation. The world turned its back and is now paying the price | Roland Burke https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/11/the-fledgling-un-tried-to-rein-in-mass-scale-misinformation-the-world-turned-its-back-and-is-now-paying-the-price #Freedomofinformation #UnitedNations #Pressfreedom #Digitalmedia #Socialmedia #Humanrights #Technology #Media

A quotation from Eleanor Roosevelt

I have been one of those who have carried the fight for complete freedom of information in the United Nations. And while accepting the fact that some of our press, our radio commentators, our prominent citizens and our movies may at times be blamed legitimately for things they have said and done, still I feel that the fundamental right of freedom of thought and expression is essential. If you curtail what the other fellow says and does, you curtail what you yourself may say and do.

Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962) First Lady of the US (1933-45), politician, diplomat, activist
Column (1947-10-29), “My Day”

More info about this quote: wist.info/roosevelt-eleanor/60…

#quote #quotes #quotation #qotd #eleanorroosevelt #huaac #redscare #censorship #freespeech #freethought #freedomofexpression #freedomofinformation #freedomofspeech #freedom of thought

Latest #Ramblers magazine has an item on the number of stiles on #PublicRightsOfWay in England and Wales. They used #FreedomofInformation requests, presumably from each Highway Authority, for the data. Grand total comes to around 140,000, or around 1 per mile of PRoW.

#OpenStreetMap has just over 82,000 as of today (#OverpassTurbo query: https://overpass-turbo.eu/s/2cFH). Not all of these will be on public rights of way, but between 50 and 60% of the total isn't bad. (Wales only represents ~5-6%).

A trinity of freedoms at risk. Mod: Marlies Zyp-van der Laan Panelists 1. Louise LaHatte, LIANZA Standing Committee on Freedom of Information 2. Mandy Hager, Author 3. Peter Dowling, Oratia Media #LIANZA2025 #FreedomofInformation #FreedomofExpression #FreedomtoPublish #FreedomtoRead #Censorship

It seems that Labor is trying to weaken Freedom of Information Disclosure legislation..

> Instead of rolling back the cabinet exemption, she’s dramatically expanding it, virtually back to where it was before Labor’s John Faulkner reduced the exemption in 2009, when everything vaguely connected to the cabinet process was exempt. The Centre for Public Integrity called it “a classic Yes Minister move”. Younger generations might call it something else: blatant gaslighting.

It's particularly perverse that they're trying to misinterpret a finding from the Robodebt royal commission that advocated limiting the cabinet exception to instead advocate for expanding it.

https://www.crikey.com.au/2025/09/05/labor-trumpian-lies-freedom-of-information-laws

#auspol #FOI #FreedomOfInformation #Transparency #Crikey #Labor

First Amendment Under Fire - Senator Eric Schmitt on All In Podcast

#covid19 #firstamendment #freedomofinformation

Let’s be frank: Parental guidance and control is where the ‘Social media ban’ should start and end.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-12-01/social-media-ban-benefits-parents/104664692
#AusPol #Liberalism #FreedomOfInformation #FreedomToAssociate #Discrimination #LGBTQIA #Disability #Neurodiversity

Following a #FreedomOfInformation request, I can reveal that in 2005 — almost two decades ago — the #EuropeanCommission trialled the deployment of an Open Source stack (#Linux desktops with #OpenOffice) and that trial was mostly successful.

Here is the Commission's report on that trial 🔗 ⬇️
https://jmaris.me/OSS_at_EU.pdf

#DigitalSovereignty #EUpol #OpenSource #DigitalAutonomy #EU

The front page of a report from the European Commission, titled "The usage of Linux and Open Source: a study on the possible usage of Linux and Open Source on the PC within the Commission environment. Final report"

If you need something to celebrate today, the Freedom of Information Act was signed into law #OnThisDay in 1966.

"It took [U.S. House of Representatives member John E. Moss] 12 years to get the FOIA through Congress [...] The Moss Committee took it upon itself to reform confidentiality policy and implement punishments for the overuse of classification by officials and departments."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_of_Information_Act_(United_States)

#foia #FreedomOfInformation #anniversary #history #OTD