Who can I request information from?

WhatDoTheyKnow covers requests to 46,364 authorities, including:

Browse all authorities →

Looking for an EU Authority?

You can request documents directly from EU Institutions at our sister site AskTheEU.org . Find out more .

AskTheEU.org

What information has been released?

WhatDoTheyKnow users have made 999,841 requests, including:

Browse all requests →

What is Freedom of Information?

Make a request for information to a UK public authority.
By law, they have to respond.

The Freedom of Information Act, also known as FOI gives you the right to request recorded information from public authorities.

As well as documents and emails, it also covers things like spreadsheets, presentations, maps, videos and photographs.

By law requests have to be answered promptly and within 20 working days.

In most cases information should be released, but various exemptions allow authorities to withhold information.

Learn more about the Freedom of Information act →

How do I use Freedom of Information?

From coach drop off points to national borders; modern slavery to council sell-offs, Freedom of Information is a tool that everyone can use. Individual or community group; journalist or campaigner. National or local; every day or now and then. Here are just a few of the ways that it can help…

🔍 Find the evidence: Survey responses, research reports and board papers can help you to uncover the truth behind decisions and public statements.

⚖️ Compare and contrast: Compare the situation in your local area with what’s happening in other parts of the country and highlight disparities or similarities.

💰 Follow the money: Contracts, invoices and budget information let you see where public money goes, ensuring greater accountability for how funds are allocated and spent.

🧩 Fill in the gaps: You can ask a group of authorities to build or extract a dataset that didn't exist. This can fill knowledge gaps and improve public understanding of specific issues.

🤔 Understand why: Meeting minutes, policy papers and internal correspondence can help you to understand why important decisions were taken, and who is accountable for those decisions.

☀️ Promote openness: Asking for datasets can help to show that there is public demand to see it, which might persuade the authority to publish it themselves without needing to be asked.

Read our case studies for some great examples of how others have put these ideas to use.

How does WhatDoTheyKnow help?

🔀 Find the right authority: A database of 46,000+ public bodies, kept up to date by a team of staff and volunteers.

🗂️ Public archive: A permanent, searchable, public record of hundreds of thousands of information requests and responses.

✍️ Write your request: Inline guidance and a collection of help pages to help write your request.

🤖 Automate bureaucracy: Built in assistance and reminders to manage your request from submission to completion.

🏟️ Correspond in public: Requests and responses are automatically published online with proof of delivery to hold authorities accountable to respond.

🛑 Refusal advice: Encouragement, support, guidance and snippets to help challenge refusals at internal review, regulator appeal and tribunal(soon).

Learn more about WhatDoTheyKnow. Want to know something? Start your own request →

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Our videos about Freedom of Information

The FOI Clearing House: an openDemocracy investigation into FOI at the heart of government

The FOI Clearing House: an openDemocracy investigation into FOI at the heart of government

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How a crowdsourced FOI campaign improved EU transparency

How a crowdsourced FOI campaign improved EU transparency

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Source & manage Freedom of Information data for impactful investigations & campaigns with Alaveteli

Source & manage Freedom of Information data for impactful investigations & campaigns with Alaveteli

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Our Freedom of Information Research

Cover for: FOI and appeals to the regulator

FOI and appeals to the regulator

How do appeals to ICO and OSIC vary in outcome and time taken?

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Cover for: mySociety response to “Call for Evidence: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”

mySociety response to “Call for Evidence: Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation”

Response to Ministry of Justice consultation

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Cover for: What are environmental information requests and how do they differ in Scotland?

What are environmental information requests and how do they differ in Scotland?

Understanding what makes Environmental Information special in Freedom of Information and the (minor) differences in how this is interpreted in Scotland.

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Cover for: Prioritising FOI complaints

Prioritising FOI complaints

Draft response to ICO consultation on how to prioritise FOI complaints

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Cover for: FOI Reform in Scotland

FOI Reform in Scotland

Response to consultation on Private Members Bill

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Cover for: Improving oversight of Access to Information

Improving oversight of Access to Information

The right to access information requires high quality oversight. Studies of effectiveness of Access to Information (ATI) legislation tells a clear story: the benefits of greater transparency and access to information can only be realised when this sy[...]

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