freedom of information

Political principle that members of the public should have access to information held by the state.

Restrictions are often placed upon the types of information. Even democratic governments will restrict disclosure for various reasons, such as national security, commercial interests, and privacy.

In the USA, a Freedom of Information Act was passed in 1966 that requires documentary records of the US government to be made available to members of the public on request. Certain categories of confidential information are exempt.