According to provisions of Florida laws e-mail addresses fall under category of public records. Which means that if you send an e-mail via public website like city council, governor, clerk of court's or court's website etc., or generally to any public institution subject to the public records law, your e-mail address may be exposed without any restriction to any visitor online. The only way to avoid such exposure is to avoid e-mail communication, but instead to contact such website owners/operators by phone, by submitting a hand written request or by speaking in person. Not all public websites in Florida contain the notification or warning of the sort, unless they are obligated by their governing authority or agency.
Columbia county, Florida, public records request policy (excerpt):
E-mail which is a public record but contains exempt information should be produced but the exempt information must first be redacted. If in doubt as to whether an e-mail message is a public record or contains exempt information, the Department Head should contact the Privacy Officer, who will consult with the County Attorney as necessary.
What is a Public Record as defined by Public Records Act in accordance with Florida Statute Chapter 119?
Section 119.011(11). F.S., defines public records to include:
All documents, papers, letters, maps, books, tapes, photographs, films, sound recordings, data processing software, or other material, regardless of the physical form, characteristics or means of transmission, made or received pursuant to law or ordinance or in connection with the transaction of official business by any agency.
The Florida Supreme Court has interpreted a true determining factor for a public record as those records that perpetuate, communicate, or formalize knowledge. Another Florida court has ruled out that "information stored in a computer is as much a public record as a written page in a book or a tabulation in a file stored in a filing cabinet."
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