16th September 2025
A Lincolnshire resident has formally asked the Charity Commission to investigate the conduct of a well-known transparency organisation, claiming its actions have unfairly silenced him for more than a decade.
Alan M. Dransfield says he has been under a lifetime ban from WhatDoTheyKnow.com (WDTK) since 2011. The website, run by charity mySociety (Charity No. 1076346), allows members of the public to make Freedom of Information (FOI) requests that are published online for all to see.
Mr Dransfield argues that the ban has prevented him for 14 years from pursuing public interest inquiries into issues including the Consulting Association blacklisting scandal, alleged misuse of the “Dransfield vexatious precedent,” and questions of public safety and accountability.
In a statement to the Gazette, he said:
“The ban is wholly disproportionate and inconsistent with mySociety’s charitable objectives. Their stated purpose is to promote transparency and civic participation — yet I have been denied the ability to use the very platform designed for that purpose. This frustrates the public interest and undermines confidence in the platform.”
Mr Dransfield has asked the Charity Commission to examine whether mySociety’s decision breaches its obligations as a registered charity and to consider steps to ensure fairness and proportionality for all users.
He says he can provide supporting evidence of the impact of the ban and its effect on public accountability efforts.
Neither mySociety nor the Charity Commission had responded to a request for comment by the time of publication.
