Exemptions & Denials

How often each FOIA exemption is cited across government, and which agencies rely on them most.

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Exemption Use Over Time

Government-wide count of exemptions cited, by fiscal year

Exemption Explorer

The nine FOIA exemptions let agencies withhold specific kinds of records. Pick one to see which agencies cite it most (FY).

Ex. 6

Personal privacy

Total Citations
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Top Agencies Citing This Exemption

Counts of citations across all components
Exemption categories follow 5 U.S.C. § 552(b): Ex. 1 (national security) through Ex. 9 (geological data). Ex. 7 covers law-enforcement records and is split into six sub-exemptions (7A–7F). A single request can cite multiple exemptions, so totals here count citations, not requests.