Emerald Onion's request about USG Tor usage 20200301 (Federal Election Commission)

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

Re: Your Freedom of Information Act Request to the Federal Election Commission FOIA (2020-044)

Dear Mr. Sheats,

This email acknowledges receipt of your Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request dated March 2, 2020. Specifically, you requested the following:

"Copies of internal presentations, reports, studies, memorandum, or proposals created or received by Federal Election Commission concerning software developed by The Tor Project, Inc., including but not limited to:
- Tor
- Tor Browser
- Tor bridges
- Tor onion sites (v2 or v3, sometimes called "darkweb" or "darknet" sites)
- Tor onion services (v2 or v3, sometimes called "hidden services")
- Tor bandwidth authorities or directory authorities
- Tor pluggable transports (obfs4, meek, ScrambleSuit, etc)
- Tor relays (also known as "routers" or "nodes", sometimes called "guard", "middle", or "exit" relays)"

We received your request on March 2, 2020.

We will soon be initiating our search for records responsive to your request. If we determine that you have requested a voluminous amount of records that require extensive searching and examination, we will contact you to discuss your willingness to modify your request.

Any questions regarding the status of this request should be directed to our office at foia@fec.gov or 202-694-1650. Please cite the following unique tracking number in all future correspondence regarding this matter: FOIA Request 2020-044.

Thank you for contacting the Federal Election Commission.

Sincerely,

Christopher Mealy
FEC FOIA Requester Service Center

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL
Christopher Sheats
requests@muckrock.com

RE: Your Freedom of Information Act Request to the FEC (2020-044)

Dear Mr. Sheats:

This email concerns the request you filed for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) received by the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) FOIA Requester Service Center on March 2, 2020. Your request sought the following from January 1, 2020:

"Copies of internal presentations, reports, studies, memorandum, or proposals created or received by Federal Election Commission concerning software developed by The Tor Project, Inc., including but not limited to:

· Tor

· Tor Browser

· Tor bridges

· Tor onion sites (v2 or v3, sometimes called "darkweb" or "darknet" sites)

· Tor onion services (v2 or v3, sometimes called "hidden services")

· Tor bandwidth authorities or directory authorities

· Tor pluggable transports (obfs4, meek, ScrambleSuit, etc)

· Tor relays (also known as "routers" or "nodes", sometimes called "guard", "middle", or "exit" relays)"

In accordance with 5 U.S.C. § 552(a)(6)(B)(i) and 11 C.F.R. § 4.7(c), we are extending the processing period to respond to your request by ten (10) working days to April 13, 2020. This extension is necessary because your request requires consultation with two or more components of the Commission which have a substantial subject matter interest in the request. 11 C.F.R. § 4.7(c)(3).

If you have any questions about this letter, you may contact the FOIA Requester Service Center at (202) 694-1650 or by email at FOIA@fec.gov<mailto:FOIA@fec.gov>. Please include the following tracking number in all future correspondence regarding this matter - FOIA Request 2020-044.

Sincerely,

Steve N. Hajjar

FOIA Requester Service Center

VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

Christopher Sheats
requests@muckrock.com

RE: Your Freedom of Information Act Request to the FEC (2020-044)

Dear Mr. Sheats:

This email responds to the request you filed for information under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) received by the Federal Election Commission's (FEC) FOIA Requester Service Center on March 2, 2020. Your request sought the following from January 1, 2010:

"Copies of internal presentations, reports, studies, memorandum, or proposals created or received by Federal Election Commission concerning software developed by The Tor Project, Inc., including but not limited to:

· Tor

· Tor Browser

· Tor bridges

· Tor onion sites (v2 or v3, sometimes called "darkweb" or "darknet" sites)

· Tor onion services (v2 or v3, sometimes called "hidden services")

· Tor bandwidth authorities or directory authorities

· Tor pluggable transports (obfs4, meek, ScrambleSuit, etc)

· Tor relays (also known as "routers" or "nodes", sometimes called "guard", "middle", or "exit" relays)"

We have searched our records and located documents responsive to your request, which we are releasing in part. Attached to this response letter is a 54-page PDF that contains documents responsive to your request. These records include redactions pursuant to FOIA Exemption 6, which protects from disclosure information in personnel, medical, and similar files that, if released, would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(6).

We are withholding approximately 1,566 pages of records responsive to your request under FOIA Exemptions 5, 6 and 7(E). FOIA Exemption 5 protects from disclosure inter-or intra-agency memoranda or letters covered by the attorney work-product, deliberative process, and attorney-client privileges. See 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(5). FOIA Exemption 7(E) affords protection to law enforcement information that "would disclose techniques and procedures for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions, or would disclose guidelines for law enforcement investigations or prosecutions if such disclosure could reasonably be expected to risk circumvention of the law." 5 U.S.C. § 552(b)(7)(E).

This document production completes the FEC's response to your FOIA request, which we have granted in part.

You may contact our FOIA Public Liaison, Christine McClarin, at (202) 694-1485 for any further assistance and to discuss any aspect of your request. Additionally, you may contact the Office of Government Information Services (OGIS) at the National Archives and Records Administration to inquire about the FOIA mediation services they offer. The contact information for OGIS is as follows: Office of Government Information Services, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road-OGIS, College Park, Maryland 20740-6001, e-mail at ogis@nara.gov; telephone at 202-741-5770; toll free at 1-877-684-6448; or facsimile at 202-741-5769.

If you are not satisfied with the response to this request, you may administratively appeal by writing to the Chief FOIA Officer, Federal Election Commission, 1050 First St., N.E., Washington, DC 20463, or sending an e-mail to foia@fec.gov. Any such appeal should follow the guidelines set forth in the Commission's FOIA regulations at 11 C.F.R. § 4.8. Thank you for contacting the FEC.

Sincerely,
Steve N. Hajjar
FOIA Service Center