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Many FTC records are already available
in our FTC Reading
Room. You may be able to obtain the record you are looking
for online!
The FTC's World Wide Website is a storehouse
of information and it is all available at your fingertips.
The site contains consumer information, business guidance,
economic reports and analysis, speeches, press releases, and
other documents created by the FTC. The site is also word-searchable.
In addition, the site features information that the Commission
currently places on its "public record."
If the information you are seeking
is on the FTC's public record, a formal FOIA request is not
necessary. You should be able to find the public
material you are looking for on the FTC's website or by contacting
the FTC's Consumer Response Center at:
- Consumer
Response Center ("CRC")
- Federal Trade Commission
- Room 130
- 600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
- Washington, D.C. 20580
- Telephone number: (202) 326-2222
A FOIA request can be made for almost any
agency record. This does not mean, however that the FTC will
disclose any record that you request. While the focus of the
FOIA is on making government information available to the
public, the statute recognizes that disclosure of certain
kinds of information would be harmful. For this reason, the
FOIA exempts nine categories of information from the general
mandatory disclosure rule, and excludes certain records from
coverage under the FOIA. FTC records that most frequently
fall into one of these categories include material we have
obtained from business' internal communications that are protected
by a privilege, personal information, investigative records,
and internal personnel rules and practices. When the Commission
withholds a record or a portion of the record, it must specify
which exemption of the FOIA permits the withholding. The FOIA
does not require agencies to do research, to analyze data,
to answer written questions, or to create records in order
to respond to a request. See the FOIA
Handbook [PDF 127KB] for
more information.
Our ability to respond quickly and accurately
to your request depends upon the clarity of your request.
When making your request, you should be as specific as possible
with regard to names, company names, dates, addresses, and
subjects, etc. For example, if your request relates to a particular
company or individual, useful information would include a
company's name, their address, the type of business they are
engaged in and a specific time period. You do not need to
give a requested record's name or title, but the more specific
you are about the record or types of records that you want,
the more likely it will be that the FTC will be able to locate
those records.
As you prepare your request, please keep
in mind that the FTC cannot advise you as to whether you should
pursue a business opportunity or whether a particular company
is "legitimate." We can only provide you with existing
documents from which you may draw your own conclusions. You
should also know that because the FTC does not maintain a
national business registration list, the FTC is simply unable
to advise consumers on whether any given business product,
service, or opportunity meets a minimum standard.
Click here
for links regarding consumer product safety and corporation
registration information.
Sample FOIA Letter
Freedom of Information Act
Request
Office of General Counsel
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20580
Dear Sir/Madam:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information
Act. I request that a copy of the following document(s) be
provided to me: [identify the documents as specifically
as possible. i.e. all investigative records concerning ABC
company, located at 555 Main Street, City, State, in the years
1997-1999. This company is offering franchises to sell widgets.]
In order to help determine fees, you should
know that I am a [insert description of requester. i.e.
individual, attorney, company, news organization]
[Optional]
I am willing to pay fees up to $____. If
you expect the fees will exceed this, please contact me before
proceeding.
[Optional]
I request a waiver of all fees for this
request. Disclosure of the requested information to me is
in the public interest because it is likely to contribute
significantly to public understanding of the operations or
activities of the government and is not primarily in my commercial
interest. [Include a specific explanation.]
If you need to discuss this request, I can
be reached at [daytime phone number]. Thank you for
your consideration of my request.
Sincerely,
Name
Address
City, State, Zip
Telephone Number
Where to Send Your Request
Regardless of how you send your request
(via fax, e-mail, U.S. mail, or via our secure, online
form*), address it as follows:
- Freedom of Information Act Request
Office of General Counsel
Federal Trade Commission
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, D.C. 20580
The fax number for the FOIA branch is (202)
326-3709*, and the e-mail address is FOIA@FTC.GOV*
* If you use the on-line form, facsimile,
or e-mail, to submit a FOIA request, you do not need to mail
a follow-up letter.
Make
a FOIA Request Online
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