FOI/FOIA in 5 Minutes: Copy-Paste Templates for All Five Eyes
Freedom of Information requests are a powerful tool. Here are copy-paste templates to get data on CBDCs and digital IDs from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
The FY Times Staff
Published on
Read time
8 min read
The humble Freedom of Information request remains the most under-used weapon in the privacy arsenal. Every Five Eyes jurisdiction guarantees a statutory 20-working-day response clock, zero fees for the first chunk of work, and public portals that timestamp and shame slow agencies. In 2024 alone, UK citizens filed 52,000 FOI requests via WhatDoTheyKnow.com; 73 % were granted in full on first ask when the requester named the exact document type (ICO 2024). Canada’s ATIP system processed 118,000 requests with an average fulfilment rate of 68 %. Australia’s Right to Know platform mirrored 14,000 requests. The US FOIA portal logged 850,000 submissions. New Zealand’s FYI.org.nz auto-publishes responses after 30 days, creating a de facto public archive of government embarrassment.
The key is precision. Vague requests (‘everything about CBDC’) get bounced. Laser-focused requests (‘the risk register for the CBDC pilot dated after 1 Jan 2025’) get results. Below are copy-paste templates for each jurisdiction, plus the follow-up script that triggers internal reviews when they stall.
US FOIA (foia.gov)
Subject: FOIA Request – [AGENCY] Digital Identity / CBDC Vendor Correspondence
‘All correspondence, including emails, memos, and contracts between [AGENCY] and any third-party vendor regarding digital identity frameworks or central bank digital currency (CBDC) pilot programs between 1 January 2024 and the date this request is processed. Please include any privacy impact assessments, cost-benefit analyses, and technical specifications. I request expedited processing as this information is urgently needed for public debate on an active policy rollout.’
UK FOI (whatdotheyknow.com)
Subject: FOI Request – [DEPT] CBDC Pilot Communications
‘Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, please provide all emails, meeting minutes, and briefing notes between [DEPT] and [COMPANY] regarding the CBDC pilot program from 1 January 2024 to present, including any data protection impact assessments and interoperability specifications. If fees exceed £30, please waive under public interest.’
Canada ATIP (atip-aiprp.apps.gc.ca)
Subject: ATIP Request – CBDC Technical Specifications
‘All records held by Finance Canada, the Bank of Canada, and CDIC related to CBDC technical architecture, privacy safeguards, and vendor contracts from 1 January 2024 to present. Bundle under one request ID. Waive fees under public interest.’
Australia FOI (righttoknow.org.au)
Subject: FOI Request – CBDC Privacy Impact Assessment
‘All documents including the privacy impact assessment, cost-benefit model, and technical specifications for the eAUD CBDC pilot, dated after 1 January 2024. Waive fees under public interest.’
NZ OIA (fyi.org.nz)
Subject: OIA Request – Digital Identity Wallet Cost-Benefit Analysis
‘Please release the full cost-benefit analysis and risk register for the Digital Identity Services Trust Framework wallet, including any third-party vendor contracts, from 1 January 2024 to present. Waive fees under public interest.’
Universal add-on paragraph:
‘Please provide in electronic format (PDF or CSV). If search fees exceed [$50/£30/C$25/A$40/NZ$45], please contact me to refine scope. I am willing to exclude attachments over 10 MB to avoid fees.’
Day 21 follow-up script (copy-paste):
‘This is a request for internal review under [FOIA s.10 / FOI s.50 / ATIP s.41 / etc]. My request [ID] is now overdue. Please confirm receipt and provide an estimated completion date within 5 working days.’
40 % of late responses arrive within 48 hours of this email. Keep a spreadsheet of request IDs, dates, and agencies – pattern recognition is your friend. Use a dedicated ProtonMail alias per request to keep your main inbox clean. Batch-file every quarter; the paper cuts add up.