FOIA REQUESTS AND EMAILS: Is sending an email 100% accurate?
Should news outlets sending thousands of FOIA requests a month be able to base a lawsuit off of an email?
Google search:
Online answer: No, sending an email is not 100% accurate, reliable, or guaranteed to be received. Emails can be delayed, lost, or trapped by spam filters, making “100% deliverability” a myth.
Furthermore, read receipts or tracking tools are inaccurate, often affected by privacy settings and blocking mechanisms. Why Email Delivery Isn’t 100% Accurate:Delivery vs. Deliverability: An email may be successfully sent by your server but blocked or sent to spam by the recipient’s server.
Bounce Rates: Hard bounces (invalid addresses) or soft bounces (full inbox/server down) can prevent delivery.Spam Filters: Strict security filters can block legitimate emails.
Tracking Limitations: Tools that track opens (1×1 pixels) are often blocked by email clients or privacy features like Apple Mail Privacy Protection.
Catch-all Servers: Some servers accept all emails, even to invalid addresses, making it impossible to know if the email reached a real person.
If critical information needs to be confirmed as received and read, alternatives like direct messaging, phone calls, or requiring a website login are more reliable.
Village of Buckner 