WhatDoTheyKnow

{{Short description|British website dealing in freedom-of-information requests}}

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{{Infobox website

| name = WhatDoTheyKnow

| url = [http://www.whatdotheyknow.com WhatDoTheyKnow.com]

| screenshot = WhatDoTheyKnow example request screenshot.png

| screenshot_size =

| caption = Example request using the WhatDoTheyKnow interface

| commercial = No

| type = Freedom of Information website

| registration = Optional

| owner = mySociety

| author = User-generated/Public Authority generated

| launch_date = {{start date and age|2008|2|25|df=y}}{{cite web|url=http://whois.domaintools.com/whatdotheyknow.com|title=WhatDoTheyKnow.com WHOIS, DNS, & Domain Info - DomainTools|work=WHOIS|access-date=2016-08-09}}

| defunct =

| current_status = Active

| revenue =

| programming_language = Ruby{{Cite web |title=The Alaveteli theme for WhatDoTheyKnow (UK) |url=https://github.com/mysociety/whatdotheyknow-theme |website=GitHub}}

}}

WhatDoTheyKnow is a site by mySociety designed to help people in the United Kingdom make Freedom of Information requests. It publishes both the requests and the authorities’ responses online, with the aim of making information available to all, and of removing the need for multiple people to make the same requests.[http://www.newstatesman.com/scitech/2008/04/parliament-bills-century Information revolution], New Statesman, Becky Hogg, 2008[http://www.ico.gov.uk/~/media/documents/library/Freedom_of_Information/Practical_application/foi_tips_for_communications_professionals.ashx Foi tips for communications professionals], Information Commissioner[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/opensecrets/2010/06/victory_for_whatdotheyknow_web.html Victory for WhatDoTheyKnow], BBC website[http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/aio/17801438 Local by Social], Andy Gibson The site acts as a permanent public database archive of FOI requests made through it.{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/government-computing-network/2011/aug/05/ico-twitter-guidance-open-data|title=ICO Twitter advice fuels open data drive|first=Ben|last=Whitelaw|website=TheGuardian.com|date=5 August 2011}}{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/news/datablog/2012/mar/20/freedom-of-information-foi?CMP=twt_gu | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Simon | last=Rogers | title=Freedom of Information: an FoI request for every day of 2012, listed | date=2012-03-20}}

Around 15% to 20% of requests to UK Central Government are made through WhatDoTheyKnow.com.{{cite web |url=https://www.mysociety.org/2011/07/01/whatdotheyknows-share-of-central-government-foi-requests-q2-2011/ |title=WhatDoTheyKnow's Share of Central Government FOI Requests — Q2 2011 |author=Alex Skene |publisher=mySociety |date=1 July 2011 |access-date=19 April 2020 }}{{cite web|url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/wrans/?id=2012-01-30b.92119.h&s=whatdotheyknow#g92119.r0|title=Freedom of Information: 30 Jan 2012: Hansard Written Answers - TheyWorkForYou}} Over 45,000 public bodies have been added to the site, mainly by volunteers.{{cite web|url=http://www.whatdotheyknow.com|title=Whatdotheyknow.com}} More than 800,000 requests have been made using the site and more than 4.5 million people visited it in 2014{{cite web|url=https://www.mysociety.org/2015/05/11/are-you-one-in-6983028-looking-at-our-uk-visitor-numbers/|title=Are you one in 6,983,028? Looking at our UK visitor numbers / mySociety|date=11 May 2015}}

WhatDoTheyKnow has been described by The Guardian as "an idiot's guide to making a freedom of information request."[https://www.theguardian.com/government-computing-network/2011/jul/21/skunkworks-whitehall-dick-vinegar?INTCMP=SRCH No Minister: Keep skunks out of Whitehall], Guardian, Dick Vinegar The Information Commissioner's Office has stated that it believes "the most up-to-date informal list of all public authorities is held on the website".Information Commissioner's Office response: [http://www.ico.gov.uk/about_us/how_we_comply/disclosure_log/~/media/documents/disclosure_log/IRQ0365760.ashx IRQ0365760] Information released through the site has given rise to serious and less serious news stories.[https://web.archive.org/web/20101105152125/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/personalfinance/consumertips/7375576/Child-Trust-Funds-families-count-cost-of-child-benefit-delay.html Child Trust Funds: families count cost of child benefit delay ], Telegraph{{cite web|url=https://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/04/12/cycle_route_planner/|title=Government wastes millions on redundant cycle route planner|last1=Government|last2=Police|last3=Australia|last4=Home Office|last5=Censorship|first6=damn lies and election polls: Why GE2015 pundits fluffed the numbers so badly|last6=Lies|first7=What does the NHS’s new IT plan really want to extract from|last7=us?|first8=CPS grovels after leaking IDs of hundreds arrested during student|last8=riots|website=The Register}}{{cite news| url=https://www.theguardian.com/society/2011/jul/07/when-zombies-attack-bristol-city-council-undead-invasion | location=London | work=The Guardian | first=Steven | last=Morris | title=When zombies attack! Bristol city council ready for undead invasion | date=2011-07-07}} The site is used by a number of MPs.[http://www.mysociety.org/2009/11/28/whatdotheyknow-beats-parliamentary-question/ WhatDoTheyKnow Beats Parliamentary Question], mySociety, November 2009

The site was originally available only in English but a partially translated Welsh version was added in 2013.[http://www.mysociety.org/2013/01/16/whatdotheyknow-in-welsh/ WhatDoTheyKnow now 6% in Welsh], WhatDoTheyKnow blog, 16 January 2013