Drop Proposed Broad FOIA Exemption | ALA Alert

American Library Assn -- Compose a Message: "The Senate has approved a provision in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2005 that adds a new exemption under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). This exemption would restrict public access to unclassified satellite images and related data, such as maps, reports and analysis.

Even if government officials felt that the public should have access to the information under FOIA, the provision prohibits disclosure. This completely bars the public from accessing commercial satellite images. This broad exclusion would threaten significant amounts of unclassified data that journalists, public interest groups, scientists, and the public routinely use.

The Senate has already approved the measure and it is now incorporated into H.R. 4200 as an amendment. H.R. 4200 is currently in House-Senate conference."