Mastering Complex FOIA & Public Records Requests: Part 1/2
Communications advance faster than transparency regulations Ours is a mobile society that relies on instant, convenient communications. And it is profoundly affecting the ability of government agencies to timely respond to FOIA and public records requests (PRRs). The digital communications that…
eDiscovery for public disclosure: the quest for a transparent government
eDiscovery technologies are proving to be powerful tools for improving internal records management and retrieval processes that serve to increase transparency into U.S. state and federal government agencies. And without a doubt, they’ve arrived not a moment too late. Legislative changes have…
5 Proven ways to simplify PPR review and accelerate the disclosure process
As the number of FOIA and Public Records, requests increase exponentially, the cost for identification, collection, review, and disclosure of the requested information weighs heavy on the Legal and IT departments of these agencies. ZyLAB has enhanced its Gartner #1 rated eDiscovery solution to help…
Smart redaction and auto-classification for FOIA & Public disclosure requests
When it comes to Public Records requests, what I hear most from FOIA and Public Disclosure Officers is how critical it is to "get it out" and "get it right." Our clients are under great pressure to respond to each request by the legal deadline ("Get it out!") while also ensuring that no sensitive…
Technology resolves the FOIA fees dilemma
In 2017, federal agencies processed 800,000 public records requests (PRRs) at a cost of $500 million. Only a very small amount - less than 1% - was recouped in fees. The federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows for agencies to charge fees for searching and copying records, but not for…
Why we need machines for open government requests
In 2009, President Obama issued a Memorandum in which he reaffirmed his commitment to the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and urged agencies to adopt “new technologies” to administer it. While the President did not go as far as to say that without technology open government is no longer an…
How agencies have upped their game with technology
Transparency and open government would clearly be less of an administrative and financial burden if there were fewer public records requests (PRRs). To achieve this goal, agencies have been pro-actively releasing information. One of several examples cited as part of evidence submitted to a…
Tackling public records requests with technology
Responding to a records requests under Open Records acts or the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is a multifaceted process. After a federal, state, or local government agency receives a public records request (PRR), personnel must search for and collect records that may be responsive, remove…
Brussels, Belgium and eDiscovery: more important than ever!
eDiscovery is no longer just an American problem. For decades, eDiscovery has been considered a US problem, but this has all changed. Belgium and Brussels in particular, is slowly becoming the epicenter of European eDiscovery. Main driver is the increasing number of regulatory requests and…
