Although President Obama issued an executive order in November 2010 calling for agencies to narrow their use of labels like “Controlled Unclassified Information” and “for official use only,” the Defense Department is trying to impose even more restrictions.

The Pentagon proposed a rule in June that would permit new safeguard requirements for designations such as “Sensitive But Unclassified” that protect unclassified information from disclosure, according to Secrecy News.

The rule also requires protection of any unclassified information that hasn’t been specifically authorized for public disclosure.

This action, if implemented, would permit the further use of safeguarding labels. As a result, much unclassified information would continue to be kept from the public despite the Obama administration’s stated goal of putting more data into citizens’ hands.

– Morgan Watkins

Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).

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The government released a classified Pentagon report from 2004 that supports National Security Agency whistleblower Thomas Drake’s claims of waste and abuse within the department.

Drake pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge in June after various news outlets published stories questioning the Justice Department’s decision to level felony charges against him. He was indicted after he leaked information on the NSA’s problems to a Baltimore Sun reporter.

The report from the Defense Department Inspector General was prompted by complaints about NSA troubles from Drake and other employees, according to a Washington Post article.

It upholds Drake’s claim that the NSA was wasting money on a program called Trailblazer when another more effective program had already been developed.

As a result, Trailblazer sucked more than $1 billion out of the government budget and was abandoned in 2006 due to technical programs and its hefty cost.

The Project on Government Oversight obtained the classified report through a FOIA request and released it Wednesday (heavily redacted, of course).

Court repeals FOI metadata opinion

A New York federal district court repealed its February opinion that declared that metadata – any information for an electronic document that deals with the record’s management or history – must be included in public records.

The opinion was issued in the National Day Laborer Organizing Network v. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency case, which was settled June 17.

It was the first federal court opinion addressing the issue of how FOIA rules apply to metadata, according to a Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press article.

– Morgan Watkins

Morgan Watkins is SPJ’s summer Pulliam/Kilgore Freedom of Information intern and a University of Florida student. Reach her by email (mwatkins@spj.org) or connect with her on Twitter (@morganwatkins26).

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Happy holiday weekend, everyone!

• Judicial Watch: Pentagon colludes with congressional offices before releasing documents on congressional military travel

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