4 ms·

In fact, yes: http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/fbifile http://www.aaronsw.com/weblog/fbifile

Alupis 12y ago
That is, if it doesn't get denied for supposed "National Security" reasons like most of us who filed FOIA's for our data out of the NSA. (the secret with FOIA's is that the government still gets to decide if they want to release the information) I, like most, got a blanket denial from my senator (D. Dianne Feinstein) via email stating they cannot disclose whether or not they have any data about me. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/06/1221694/-NSA-Rejecting-Every-FOIA-Request-Made-by-U-S-Citizens http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/06/1221694/-NSA-Reject...
- nl 12y ago
  The NSA is hardly the entirety of the US Federal Government. Notably, none of these documents on Aaron Swartz were from the NSA. Whilst I'm sympathetic to the idea of keeping the NSA's operations under the spotlight, that doesn't mean there isn't significant benefit (or just interest) in other things too.
  - Alupis 12y ago
    Don't see your point. The FBI denies plenty of FOIA's. http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/benghazi-fbi-foia-request-denied-stonewall-continues http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/benghazi-fbi-fo... https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131118/01542825271/fbi-stops-responding-to-most-prolific-foia-filer-because-he-might-actually-learn-something.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131118/01542825271/fbi-s... If the FBI released the Swartz data, it's because they felt like it, not because the FOIA somehow actually compelled them to.
    - nl 12y ago
      That TechDirt article is really interesting. For those who were put off by the other article, here's the TL;DR: A person has discovered that by lodging multiple FOIA requests along with multiple privacy waivers he can get access to data that he wouldn't be able to normally get access to. The article doesn't go into the mechanics of it, but it sounds like each request is hitting a different censor, and each censor censors things slightly differently, and so information leaks out from the differences. These differences give clues as to where to lodge new FOIA requests. Ironically, this approach is somewhat analogous to mass metadata collection: a single record doesn't do much, but in bulk a very comprehensive picture is built up that wouldn't be available otherwise. It seems the FBI is arguing this in court, and trying to stop the approach. I can completely understand their concerns, and I'm not sure I have an opinion on which way the court should rule. (As for the "CanadaFreePress" article: I think the FBI's refusal is completely legal, and even reasonable. Even if you don't agree, there is little legal doubt that the FBI is legally entitled to deny requests regarding ongoing investigations.)
      - chii 12y ago
        i agree that any request for data regarding an ongoing investigation should be denied - but after the investigation is over, all data pertaining to it _must_ be released publically. This will allow the public to have oversight of the process, leading to better outcomes in the end.
        taejo 12y ago
        Citizen, we are ever vigilant, and never stop investigating.

That is, if it doesn't get denied for supposed "National Security" reasons like most of us who filed FOIA's for our data out of the NSA. (the secret with FOIA's is that the government still gets to decide if they want to release the information) I, like most, got a blanket denial from my senator (D. Dianne Feinstein) via email stating they cannot disclose whether or not they have any data about me. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/06/1221694/-NSA-Rejecting-Every-FOIA-Request-Made-by-U-S-Citizens http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/07/06/1221694/-NSA-Reject...

nl 12y ago
The NSA is hardly the entirety of the US Federal Government. Notably, none of these documents on Aaron Swartz were from the NSA. Whilst I'm sympathetic to the idea of keeping the NSA's operations under the spotlight, that doesn't mean there isn't significant benefit (or just interest) in other things too.
- Alupis 12y ago
  Don't see your point. The FBI denies plenty of FOIA's. http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/benghazi-fbi-foia-request-denied-stonewall-continues http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/benghazi-fbi-fo... https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131118/01542825271/fbi-stops-responding-to-most-prolific-foia-filer-because-he-might-actually-learn-something.shtml https://www.techdirt.com/articles/20131118/01542825271/fbi-s... If the FBI released the Swartz data, it's because they felt like it, not because the FOIA somehow actually compelled them to.
  - nl 12y ago
    That TechDirt article is really interesting. For those who were put off by the other article, here's the TL;DR: A person has discovered that by lodging multiple FOIA requests along with multiple privacy waivers he can get access to data that he wouldn't be able to normally get access to. The article doesn't go into the mechanics of it, but it sounds like each request is hitting a different censor, and each censor censors things slightly differently, and so information leaks out from the differences. These differences give clues as to where to lodge new FOIA requests. Ironically, this approach is somewhat analogous to mass metadata collection: a single record doesn't do much, but in bulk a very comprehensive picture is built up that wouldn't be available otherwise. It seems the FBI is arguing this in court, and trying to stop the approach. I can completely understand their concerns, and I'm not sure I have an opinion on which way the court should rule. (As for the "CanadaFreePress" article: I think the FBI's refusal is completely legal, and even reasonable. Even if you don't agree, there is little legal doubt that the FBI is legally entitled to deny requests regarding ongoing investigations.)
    - chii 12y ago
      i agree that any request for data regarding an ongoing investigation should be denied - but after the investigation is over, all data pertaining to it _must_ be released publically. This will allow the public to have oversight of the process, leading to better outcomes in the end.
      - taejo 12y ago
        Citizen, we are ever vigilant, and never stop investigating.