U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security Launches eFOIA App; Submit FOIA Requests, Check Status, View DHS FOIA Library
From a DHS Blog Post by Karen Neuman, DHS Chief Privacy Officer:
Using their mobile devices, [FOIA] requesters can now submit requests and check the status of existing requests anyplace, anytime.
Key features of the new eFOIA app will allow users to:
- Submit a FOIA request to any DHS Component
- Check the status of FOIA requests
- Access all of the content on the FOIA website, including the FOIA Library
- Receive updates, changes to events–such as stakeholder meetings/conference calls held by the Department, and recently published documents
DHS receives the largest number of FOIA requests of any federal agency, and produces the largest number of responses.
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Since the beginning of Fiscal Year 2015, DHS has reduced its FOIA backlog by 20 percent, from 103,480 to 82,324 as of July 1, 2015.
The new app is available for Android (via Google Play) and for iOS (via iTunes App Store).
Note: The info/download pages for both versions of the app include details about the information DHS collects and how it’s used/shared. Make sure to review.
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About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.