
Senate Falls 1 Vote Short of Giving FBI Access to Browse Histories - eplanit
http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2016-06-22/senate-falls-1-vote-short-of-giving-fbi-access-to-browser-histories-without-court-order
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bpchaps
If anybody wants to do something about this with me and others, start sending
Foia requests for similar information to your local and state governments.
You'll find that there is a huge amount of aversion towards releasing things
like call logs and email. Push on and on and you'll eventually get what you're
looking for. Highlighting the absurdities of these laws through civil
reciprocation may just go a long way.

If all goes as best as it can go, I should have Chicago's mayor's office's dns
resolution logs tomorrow. Just so I can limit an email search since they
consider it too difficult to search for three companies in their email records
for a single week. It's taken a year and a half to get this far, but it takes
minutes for them to do the same. This is absurd.

This isn't a place for journalists anymore. None I've talked to are ever
willing to do anything similar because of the time it takes to get a request
fulfilled. Don't be like them, and just persist, dammit.

[https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hgG79eIr8MbkjYrCvcTR...](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hgG79eIr8MbkjYrCvcTRN8n876KL8aXYYu5it8Lg0g8)

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strgrd
Is there a resource you have been using to learn how to format and submit FOIA
requests?

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bpchaps
(unorganized list)

Kinda, but most of it has been through trial and error with a few read-
throughs of Illinois FOIA. I have a pro bono lawyer who can help out every now
and then, but he tends to be very busy so it's not the best source of
information.

If you ever feel a request wasn't interpreted properly, or you can prove that
requests aren't fulfilled properly, instead of suing, you can go through the
attorney general route. I tried it once, but it took six months. It worked,
though.

muckrock.com might be a good choice to go to. I find their pay-for-FOIA to be
complete bullshit and only adds to the perceived difficulties of FOIA.

There are communities that focus on FOIA that you can work with. In Chicago,
there are two that I know of - Open Gov Hacknight is the most well known.

If you ever need any help, just shoot me a message in the email on my page and
I can give some pointers, or at least point you in the right direction. I
always love to help out!

Edit: For what it's worth, this is the video that got me thinking seriously
about these things. I don't agree with every point he made, but the start-at-
the-city point he makes is something I dearly believe in. I mention it here,
since it might help build motivation, which is a useful resource to tap.

[https://www.ted.com/talks/eric_liu_why_ordinary_people_need_...](https://www.ted.com/talks/eric_liu_why_ordinary_people_need_to_understand_power?language=en)

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strgrd
I couldn't find your email. How should I contact you?

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bpchaps
hm. I'll fix that.

dischiordic@gmail.com

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asquabventured
Get. A. Warrant.

What is so hard about protecting the ideas our country was founded on?

