Who can I request information from?

WhatDoTheyKnow covers requests to 46,950 authorities, including:

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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 1,104,097 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 routinely 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 over one million 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 →

Latest news and campaigns

Notes from the Access to Information Network

Welcome to autumn, and as we have breezed past Right To Know day let’s take a look at what the Access to Information network have been up to this month....

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Proactive steps to prevent data breaches by public authorities

mySociety’s Transparency team has developed a new tool, the Excel Analyser, which helps reduce the potential harms associated with accidental releases of large amounts of personal information. The Excel Analyser...

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Notes from the Access to Information Network

Notes from network members about their work throughout August 2024

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Access Info Impact Awards

Are you an individual or an organisation who’s used the Right to Information to have a positive impact on society — or perhaps you know one that has? Either way,...

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Our videos about Freedom of Information

A change in the law for school starters in Scotland

A change in the law for school starters in Scotland

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Data Visualisation Show and Tell

Data Visualisation Show and Tell

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What happens after an Internal Review in FOI?

What happens after an Internal Review in FOI?

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Our Freedom of Information Research

Cover for: Using Access to Information to support social change

Using Access to Information to support social change

A look at how organisations which support marginalised communities use and request information from public bodies, what the information unlocks and what mySociety can do to better support this use of access to information.

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Cover for: Network Rail: how accounting definitions of control can expand FOI/EIR coverage 

Network Rail: how accounting definitions of control can expand FOI/EIR coverage 

Appealing to the Court of Accountants.

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Cover for: Mapping the online Access To Information network in Europe

Mapping the online Access To Information network in Europe

Mapping Access to Information website challenges and successes in Europe

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Cover for: Response to STAIRs consultation

Response to STAIRs consultation

mySociety response to a consultation on access to information scheme for social tenants

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Cover for: How many people use Freedom of Information? The numbers blog post

How many people use Freedom of Information? The numbers blog post

More details on our FOI polling, and how it compares with other polling and estimates of FOI use.

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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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