§ 701.57 - Ground rules.

§ 701.57 Ground rules.

(a) Identity of requester. In applying exemptions, the identity of the requester and the purpose for which the record is sought are irrelevant with the exception that an exemption may not be invoked where the particular interest to be protected is the requester's interest. However, if the subject of the record is the requester for the record and the record is contained in a Privacy Act system of records, it may only be denied to the requester if withholding is both authorized in systems notice and by a FOIA exemption.

(b) Reasonably segregable. Even though a document may contain information which qualifies for withholding under one or more FOIA exemptions, FOIA requires that all “reasonably segregable” information be provided to the requester, unless the segregated information would have no meaning. In other words, redaction is not required when it would reduce the balance of the text to unintelligible gibberish.

(c) Discretionary release. A discretionary release of a record to one requester shall prevent the withholding of the same record under a FOIA exemption if the record is subsequently requested by someone else. However, a FOIA exemption may be invoked to withhold information that is similar or related that has been the subject of a discretionary release.

(d) Initial Denial Authority (IDA) actions. The decision to withhold information in whole or in part based on one or more of the FOIA exemptions requires the signature of an IDA. See listing of IDAs in § 701.4.