ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the main principles and implications of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA), its impact on journalists being able to make subject access requests and explains the way the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018 protect personal data. The Freedom of Information Bill was introduced by Labour MP, Andrew Mackinlay, under the ten-minute rule in November 1998 in the House of Commons and the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) was ultimately passed. The Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA) contains much the same terms as its English and Welsh equivalent, though it is much broader in scope. The Scottish Information Commissioner (SIC) is a public official appointed by Her Majesty the Queen (or the king) on the nomination of the Scottish Parliament. The right to request information on public bodies under FOIA is not confined to citizens on the UK mainland.
