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Your General Rights Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)

Enacted in 1966, the FOIA, 5 U.S.C. 552, established for the first time an effective statutory right of access by any person or organization to federal government information.


The principle underlying the FOIA is inherent in the democratic ideal as urged by Thomas Jefferson and other founders of our Republic--to ensure an informed citizenry, vital to the functioning of a democratic society. What follows is a general discussion of your rights under the FOIA (The complete law and CIA regulations governing administration of the FOIA are available here, and Code of Federal Regulations, Central Intelligence Agency, 32 CFR.). For your information, we also have provided a copy of our FOIA Annual Report that outlines our administration of the law.

Source: Central Intelligence Agency

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