Daniel Fernandes
@dfern.eth
Half of Bluesky wants federal workers on Signal so they can leak info to the press and avoid FOIA. The other half is mad that federal workers are on Signal because they are leaking info to the press and avoiding FOIA. 🤷🍿
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Edmund Edgar (goat/acc)
@edmundedgar.eth
WTF can you link to a single person who thinks federal workers should be using signal to avoid FOIA? This is a very weird thing to both-sides
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Daniel Fernandes
@dfern.eth
I mean...90% of ProPublica's posts on Bluesky over the past 2 months have been asking federal workers to text their Signal tip line. Not to mention like every other news org doing the same thing. You haven't seen this?
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Edmund Edgar (goat/acc)
@edmundedgar.eth
Right but the point of that is not in any way to avoid the Freedom of Information Act...
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Daniel Fernandes
@dfern.eth
I mean I'm asserting that it is but I'm not a lawyer. Then again people have already gone to prison...so I think the history here is on my side. https://www.npr.org/2024/01/30/1227826718/ex-irs-contractor-sentenced-to-5-years-in-prison-for-leaking-trumps-tax-records
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Edmund Edgar (goat/acc)
@edmundedgar.eth
FOIA is about giving the public the right to know things the government would otherwise keep secret from them. It does it by giving people the right to demand information. Another way people find out about corrupt things their governments is by employees leaking, anonymously to avoid reprisals or prosecution
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Daniel Fernandes
@dfern.eth
FOIA is a type of 'daylighting law' that requires recording keeping of official government business & communications with external parties. Ultimately, a court has to adjudicate one's "whistleblower" claims. And the priors here are not great, because genuine corruption is usually referred internally to the DoJ, Inspector Generals, congress, sometimes simultaneously. 99% of the time these leaks are attempts to stab the other political tribe in the eye. This is 100% a both sides thing, which is why I just say: It is what it is.
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