To Fee or Not to Fee: Requester Attitudes toward Freedom of Information Charges

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2023

Publisher

Elsevier

Source Publication

Government Information Quarterly

Source ISSN

0740-624X

Original Item ID

DOI: 10.1016/j.giq.2023.101879

Abstract

This study seeks to establish a foundation for how FOI fees are received by public record requesters, and how fees influence behavior across demographics and requester types. A survey of 330 public records requesters in the United States revealed sharp disparities in how requesters perceive fees. Private citizens, journalists, academics, and nonprofit requesters were more likely to identify excessive fees as a serious impediment, whereas commercial requesters and lawyers did not. The study also found differences in how fees are experienced at the federal, state, and local levels. Findings suggest that fees are particularly problematic for certain requester types, notably average citizens and those seeking records in the public interest, and that fees may therefore obstruct the public's ability to become informed and better self-govern. Based on democratic theory, this U.S.-based study provides caution and insights for governments throughout the world against imposing barriers that might obstruct civic participation.

Comments

Government Information Quarterly, Vol. 40, No. 4 (October 2023). DOI.

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