Data & APIfoiatransparencygovernmentjournalism

FOIA request cost estimator

Build a tool that helps journalists and activists predict and challenge excessive public records request fees.

Why now

Governments increasingly impose prohibitive costs on public records requests to avoid transparency.

Who for
journalists, activists
Business model
Premium features
Effort
A few weeks

Public agencies often discourage records requests by quoting outrageous fees, but these can frequently be challenged successfully.

Create a database of typical request costs by agency/record type with templates for fee reduction appeals. Include crowdsourced data on successful challenges.

Monetize through premium features like personalized strategy sessions with public records experts.

Start by compiling data from existing requests before building prediction tools.

Risk: Government fee structures change frequently, and some jurisdictions deliberately make costs unpredictable.

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FOIA request cost estimator — Ideas