Under the federal Freedom of Information Act, agencies are generally required to disclose records upon request, subject to nine specific exemptions. But Congress went further, creating three special that apply to especially sensitive law enforcement and national security matters. The second exclusion is perhaps the most powerful: it applies specifically to criminal law enforcement agencies and protects the existence of informant records when the informant's status has not been officially confirmed .

Michigan's Senate Bill 831 (2026) addresses the particularly sensitive issue of minor informants, requiring parental consent for children under the age of 18 who are asked to serve as confidential informants.

That being said, I can provide a general overview of how confidential informant lists are managed and the considerations involved:

Modern law enforcement agencies use sophisticated software systems to manage confidential informants. These systems, such as Case Closed Software™, provide secure, compliant tools to manage confidential sources, protect informant identities, and streamline intelligence gathering while maintaining complete accountability and transparency across investigations. These platforms maintain complete identity masking for confidential informants with role-based "need to know" access and provide permanent audit trails from the agency vault.

Law enforcement agencies are legally exempt from disclosing informant identities through public records requests to protect ongoing investigations and human lives. How CI Identities Actually Leak

A confidential informant is an individual who provides useful information about criminal activity to law enforcement agencies. Unlike citizens who report crimes out of civic duty, CIs usually operate under a formal agreement.