FOIA Exemption 6 Explained: Withholding Government Personnel & Medical Files [Administrative Law]

Professor Dru Stevenson provides a clear and concise overview of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Exemption 6. This exemption allows federal agencies to withhold "personnel and medical files and similar files" whose disclosure would constitute a "clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy.”

This video breaks down this important Administrative Law concept with key cases to help students and the public understand how the government protects personal data from FOIA requests.

In this video, you will learn:

• What is FOIA Exemption 6?

• The exact statutory language (5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6)).

• Case examples where the exemption was applied by federal courts.

Video Chapters (Timestamps):

• 0:00 Introduction to FOIA Exemption 6
• 0:33 The Statutory Language: 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6)
• 1:46 Case Example 1: Center for Public Integrity v. Dept. of Energy
• 2:38 Case Example 2: Horvath v. U.S. Secret Service (2019)
• 3:47 Conclusion

Case Examples discussed:

1. Center for Public Integrity v. Dept. of Energy (2020): Exemption 6 was properly invoked to withhold government contractor names and email addresses to prevent unwarranted invasion of privacy and potential harassment by anti-nuclear activists.

2. Horvath v. U.S. Secret Service (2019): The Secret Service withheld information from an internal workplace retaliation investigation, protecting the identity of interviewed employees who did not want to be identified as witnesses. The court agreed that since a general picture of the complaint was already released, Exemption 6 applied.

This video is for educational purposes only and not legal advice.
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*SEQUEL TO THIS VIDEO (watch next): U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service v. Sierra Club (FOIA) (17:41)    • U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service v. Sierra Clu...