The Open Law Library is working with Washington, D.C. to create a platform to make capturing and using legal data cheaper and scalable, opening more of the law to the public it governs
Continue readingGlobal headwinds for political transparency online
We shouldn’t be too sanguine though, because the common sense measures that comprise the Honest Ads Act are an important bulwark for a campaign finance regulatory system that has been eroded and attacked for decades. Here are the global headwinds we’re all facing in the fight for transparent, accountable election spending.
Continue readingHonest Ads Act would add needed transparency and accountability to online political ads
That "Internet blind spot" should change, as we've advocated for years, and now there's bipartisan legislation that would add much-needed transparency to online platforms that run paid political advertising. We hope Congress passes it.
Continue readingHow transparency can help the public trust federal stewardship of taxpayer dollars
In 2017, we cannot trust and verify that is occurring in our federal government. The American public should be able to see how secretaries are conducting public business, when, where and with whom.
Continue readingReduced online access to federal scientific information is diminishing democracy
Originally posted on the UCS Equation On Monday, Scott Pruitt, Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, announced his long awaited... View Article
Continue readingCongress should hold the Facebook Election Commission accountable to its transparency commitments
In the wake of foreign interference on national elections using its platform, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg committed to more political ad transparency in video and text shared with billions of users. The public interest, however, requires Congress and the FEC to hold the world's largest social network accountable.
Continue readingOPEN Government Data Act poised to pass Congress as part of NDAA
On Monday, the United States Senate quietly passed the OPEN Government Data Act as part of the 2018 National Defense... View Article
Continue readingTrump administration commits to participating in Open Government Partnership
The big idea behind the Open Government Partnership’s founding in 2011 was that it would provide a platform for the public to hold a national government accountable for meeting commitments that have been created in open consultation between the governed and a government of the people. When countries elect leaders like President Donald J. Trump who don’t value basic democratic norms for accountability, transparency and ethics, it poses a stern test: can a voluntary mechanism between community of democracies be used to protect and defend it?
Continue reading18F makes recommendations to Justice Department for new national FOIA website
We applaud 18F for their work to date and look forward to seeing beta.foia.gov live, but the FOIA project is far from over. What happens next will depend in part on funding and political will.
Continue readingPutting sunshine on President Trump’s conflicts of interest
In November 2016, Sunlight began tracking President Donald J. Trump’s conflicts of interest. In May 2017, we relaunched our list... View Article
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