What is Foreign Government Information (FGI)?

• A. Information provided by foreign governments or produced under joint arrangements requiring confidence
• B. Publicly available information
• C. Internal information not intended for release
• D. Information owned by U.S. citizens only

Answer: (A)

FGI is information provided by foreign governments or produced under joint arrangements with them that requires confidence in its handling. The key idea is that the source is foreign or involves a foreign partner, and the material is sensitive enough to demand restricted access to protect national interests and relationships. Because of this foreign origin and sensitivity, FGI is treated with controlled dissemination and safeguarding, with specific markings and access rules that go beyond ordinary internal or publicly available information. Publicly available information is open to everyone, internal information not intended for release is restricted within an organization but doesn’t derive its sensitivity from foreign sources, and ownership by U.S. citizens doesn’t determine whether information is foreign government information.