Illinois Supreme Court Rules Against Public Access to Database Schemas
2025-02-25
A battle over public access to government databases reached the Illinois Supreme Court. Civic hacker Matt Chapman sought the schema of Chicago's CANVAS parking ticket database via a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The city argued releasing the schema would jeopardize security. The court sided with the city, ruling that database schemas are exempt under FOIA. This decision raises concerns about government transparency and access to public data in the digital age, prompting calls for legislative changes.