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Responding to information requests via secure platforms

Some public authorities use secure platforms to respond to information requests made under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR).

Nothing in the legislation, or the code of practice, says you can’t do this. But there are some issues that you need to consider: 

  • Platforms often ask people to register or create an account before they can access messages or files. This can involve people providing more personal information than they need to make a request. You should only ask people to provide their name and correspondence address to make a request.
  • Platforms can slow things down and make it harder for people to get the information they’ve asked for.
  • Platforms are not a reliable way to ask about clarifying a request. You cannot guarantee that the requester will see your message or be able to access it easily.
  • Platforms are not needed for security reasons as FOI and EIR disclosures are made to the public at large.
  • Using a platform for a requester who has chosen to make a request through the website WhatDoTheyKnow (WDTK) can cause confusion and delay:

    • Any emails you send about signing up for a platform are published on WDTK. This means that any links or other sign-in information intended only for the requester are made publicly available.

    • Requesters use WDTK because they want your response to be published. If you disclose via a platform, WDTK volunteers need to upload any information onto the relevant WDTK page themselves.

    • Although you’re technically not responsible for ensuring that the information you disclose is published on WDTK, you should consider whether using a platform will support and increase transparency in general.