Epstein files: who decides what information is released to the public?

Critics say that the many of the documents released as part of the Epstein files have been heavily redacted. Reddavebatcave/Shutterstock

One of the hardest tasks of any government in a democracy is balancing the right to know against the need to know. Just because the public wants to know something doesn’t necessarily mean that they should. But without this access to information, how can voters make informed choices and the powerful be held to account? This debate is now central to the release and redaction of the Epstein files.