Freedom of Information Act media n. a federal law passed in the United States in 1966 that allows for the full or partial disclosure of information held by the U.S. Government. The Act defines the kind of information subject to disclosure, outlines the procedures for disclosure and specifies exemptions. The same name is used for two similar pieces of legislation later passed by Acts of Parliament in the UK, the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. These Acts create a statutory right of access to information held by public bodies such as public authorities, publicly owned companies, and other bodies performing public functions. mmo
