GovQA

GovQA, a subsidiary of Granicus, provides a software platform primarily used by government agencies to manage and respond to public records requests, such as those filed under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The service is not a public-facing database but rather a workflow and compliance tool for cities, counties, and state agencies to handle the intake, processing, and delivery of government records. While GovQA itself does not aggregate and sell data, it facilitates access to public records which can contain a vast amount of personal and sensitive information, including names, addresses, legal records, and more. The primary risk to individuals is the potential exposure of their personal information contained within these government files, which could be misused for identity theft, doxxing, or harassment if not properly redacted or secured by the managing agency. Individuals can best protect themselves by being mindful of the information they provide to government entities and by using the established legal processes, often facilitated by tools like GovQA, to request and review their own records.