Though not often advertised through any form of public domain, the Freedom of Information Act is a bill which allows members of the public to request information held by public authorities. The Act, which was given ascent in 2000, is still relatively unknown and rarely discussed amongst the general public, which is a shame given the power that such Act can carry.

For example, as a citizen of the United Kingdom, you are allowed to ask the police for all the information that they have about you, and, free of charge, they are obliged to produce such information under the Freedom of Information Act. This is a good thing as it allows the general public to know what public bodies hold information on them and, should they hold any information, specify what kind of information is being held on them.

It is not a complicated issue either. The website https://www.whatdotheyknow.com/ makes it easy for anyone to submit a request to over 24,000 authorities, with the expectation that should a question be asked, it is the duty of the authority to respond.

Of course, not every circumstance allows for a Freedom of Information request to be answered. In the case of an ongoing criminal case, for example, there are reporting restrictions which must be adhered to. But I think that, as a bill which is currently active within our legislation, we should do more to inform the general public about the rights that they have over their own information, and exercise these rights to their individual and collective benefit.