The number of freedom of information requests to the BBC where information was provided has fallen in recent years, despite concerns being raised about BBC compliance with the act.

Documents related to the Martin Bashir scandal were hidden by the BBC for many years after being initially requested under the Freedom of Information Act in 2007. They were finally released in 2020 allowing the truth about the BBC’s cover-up of the Diana interview scandal to finally be aired.

While the BBC maintains that all it does is fulfil its legal obligations under FoI, the Bashir case and other examples raise questions over whether it errs on the side of secrecy when it comes to interpreting the Act.