Skip to content

Audit Shows Lack of Oversight on Use of Sensitive but Unclassified Markings

Post categories

  1. Freedom of Information
· Story link

· Story link

There are at least 28 separate and distinct federal government policies on “sensitive but unclassified” information and its use in withholding information from the public, the National Security Archive reports in an audit of 37 major agencies’ policies. Not one offers effective oversight or monitoring of how many records are marked and withheld, by whom, or for how long. The study found that in at least eight agencies – including the 180,000 employee Department of Homeland Security — allow almost any employee to stamp a document SBU and effectively prevent its release under FOIA. And Secrecy News has obtained a copy of a new Congressional Research Service report that says federal agencies have no consistent policies for safeguarding or releasing SBU. (3/15/06)

Stay informed by signing up for our mailing list

Keep up with our work by signing up to receive our monthly newsletter. We'll send you updates about the cases we're doing with journalists, news organizations, and documentary filmmakers working to keep you informed.