OpenTheGovernment.org has published its annual secrecy report. Among its highlights:
Federal Circuit Court Whistleblower Decisions: 3-226 Against Whistleblowers
Classified Information
• National/Military Intelligence Budgets Disclosed
• Security-Cleared Population Reaches New Reported High
• Original Classification Decisions Fall by 44%; Lowest Since 1996
• $215 Spent Keeping Secrets for Every Dollar Spent on Declassification
• National Declassification Center—Progress Made, But Goal Not Reached
• Success of Mandatory Declassification Leads to 8% Growth in Requests, Continued Rise in Backlogs
• Classification Challenges Plummet by 90%
• State Secrets Privilege Policy: Impact Unclear, IG Referrals Unknown
Invention Secrecy Orders in Effect Rise by 2%
Use of National Security Letters Continues to Increase
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC) Approvals Rise 11%
The Report is produced by more than 80 different groups which advocate for more open government, and has a steering committee comprising such luminaries as Steven Aftergood of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) and Tom Blanton of the National Security Archive.
Jeremy
Open Geography 