Most freedom of information laws exclude the private sector from their jurisdiction thus information held by the private sector cannot be accessed as a legal right. This limitation has serious implications because the private sector performs many functions which were previously the domain of the public sector. As a result, information that was previously public is now within the private sector, and the private contractors cannot be forced to disclose information.
Should this be changed for publicly traded or all companies? Obviously it should protect intellectual property and other info relating to competitiveness but not anything affecting the enviroment, public health and safety.