San Francisco departments hide thousands of public records requests despite sunshine law

San Francisco's Department of Technology (DT) purged over 50,000 public records requests, posing a serious challenge to the transparency mandated by the Sunshine Ordinance. Bay City News revealed that this could result in a majority of records requests becoming invisible to the public for the first time in 2025. The DT justified the purge as part of a new data retention policy, claiming it enhances compliance and data governance. However, the action raised alarms regarding the potential concealment of corruption-related requests, particularly those concerning former Public Works Director Mohamed Nuru. Moreover, the removal targeted requests about various city operations, sparking concern among transparency advocates.

DT officials failed to seek approval from the mayor or the city board prior to the purge, intensifying scrutiny of their actions. The purge's implications extend beyond mere data management, as it threatens the public's right to hold government accountable. Citizens worry that this trend jeopardizes the fundamental principles of democracy that the Sunshine Ordinance was designed to uphold.