The Act applies only to federal agencies. However, all of the states, as well as the District of Columbia and some territories, have enacted similar statutes to require disclosures by agencies of the state and of local governments, though some are significantly broader than others. Some state and local government agencies attempt to get around state open records laws by claiming copyright for their works and then demanding high fees to license the public information. Some states expand government transparency through open meeting laws, which require government meetings to be announced in advance and held publicly.
under the freedom of information act any citizen may demand information about
federal agencies