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The government can’t hide behind Gmail

Posted on April 24, 2013

From San Diego City Beat:

I love public records laws like a firefighter loves his ax. I love the heft of the federal Freedom of Information Act (or the California Public Records Act) when I slam it into the door of the establishment. And I love it when it gets sharpened.

Since 2009, open-records activists and the city of San Jose have waged a court battle over how far these laws—which are designed to make sure citizens can access government documents—extend to digital communications, particularly when an official decides to use his private email rather than his government-issued account. 

[…]

Government documents belong to the people, and it doesn’t matter where the documents are.

 

Tagged email privacy, email records, email transparency, Personal email accounts government computers, public business private emails, public officials emails

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NFOIC

NFOIC works nationally and with its state organization members to promote laws, policies and practices that ensure expeditious access to state and local public records, proceedings and officials.

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