OCR GCSE Computer Science Complete Practice Exam 2026

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is designed to promote transparency and accountability in government by granting the public access to information held by public authorities. It primarily pertains to publicly held information, which includes records, documents, and other data maintained by government bodies. This Act allows individuals to request information about the activities and decisions of these bodies, thus ensuring that the operations of the government remain open to public scrutiny.

While personal private data is protected to respect individuals' privacy rights, and corporately protected data and intellectual property data may involve proprietary or confidential information, they are not the focus of the FOIA. The Act explicitly aims to enhance the public's ability to understand government actions and decisions by providing access to information that is not classified or subject to other exemptions. Thus, the most relevant category of data under the Freedom of Information Act is publicly held information.