The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has ruled that the Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) did not adequately demonstrate that seven Freedom of Information Act 2000 (FOIA) requests were vexatious. The complainant submitted these requests on the same day, and DCMS refused them under section 14(1) of FOIA. The Commissioner found that DCMS's assertions of burden were not supported by meaningful evidence or quantification, and therefore, complying with the requests would not impose a grossly oppressive burden.

This decision implies that government agencies must provide robust evidence and quantification when claiming FOI requests are vexatious. Agencies should review their internal processes for assessing the burden of FOI requests and ensure that any refusals under section 14(1) are well-substantiated. Failure to do so may result in complaints being upheld by the ICO, potentially leading to the disclosure of information previously withheld.