The Freedom of Information Act applies to which level of government?

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a federal law that grants the public the right to access information from the federal government, thereby promoting transparency and accountability. It specifically applies to federal agencies and mandates that they make certain records available to the public upon request, with some exceptions for sensitive information.

Since FOIA is a federal statute, it does not extend to state governments or private industry, which are governed by their respective laws and regulations regarding public access to information. State governments often have their own laws analogous to FOIA, but these are separate and are not governed by the federal statute.

This understanding underscores the importance of distinguishing the jurisdiction of federal laws like FOIA compared to state and local regulations, as well as the scope of transparency measures within different sectors.