FOIA established a legal right of access to government information on the basis of the principles of openness and accountability in government. Prior to passage of the act in 1966, the government required an individual or entity to demonstrate a "need to know" before being granted the right to examine a federal record. FOIA established a "right to know" standard, under which an individual or entity could receive access to information held by a federal agency without demonstrating a need or reason. The "right to know" standard shifted the burden of proof from the individual or entity to the government agency holding the information and required the agency to provide proper justification when denying a request for access.