The Open University FOI Complaint Upheld, Must Issue Fresh Response

The ICO's decision notice reverses The Open University's reliance on section 14 of FOIA to refuse an information request about data security and cybersecurity. The university had claimed the request was vexatious, but the ICO found this exemption was improperly applied. The university must now provide a new response to the requester that properly addresses the substance of the request without invoking the vexatious request exception.\n\nAffected parties include public authorities and educational institutions subject to FOIA obligations. They should review their procedures for handling FOI requests and ensure section 14 exemptions are only relied upon where genuinely justified, as the ICO will scrutinize such refusals and require corrective action where the exemption is misapplied.