In case you missed
it in May, the federal government barred photographs of detainee abuse from
release, saying that release of the photos would endanger American lives. The
photos would have been brought to light through a FOIA filed by the
ACLU. The Supreme Court will likely hear an appeal on the
issue from the Department of Justice next month, ultimately deciding whether
release of the photos would endanger lives. The ACLU continues to advocate for
the release of the photos. Knowing what our government does is paramount to
holding the government accountable to the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
In the torture
case, FOIA has been the primary tool used to bring the issue to light. FOIAs are
useful tools in a variety of scenarios. Want to know what information the
government has about you? Visit the ACLU’s new webspage, whatisfoia.org, and learn how to file a
FOIA for yourself.