The Act allows ordinary members of the public to demand information from public bodies such as government departments, the police or the NHS - as long as it doesn't cost too much money to get the information, isn't "vexatious", and the information isn't already publicly available.
Supporters say the law makes public bodies more transparent and accountable to the people they serve.
But others have criticised the law, arguing it takes away a confidential space from policy advisors and civil servants to advise politicians, and that it can cost public bodies significant amounts of time and money to find the information they're asked to.
The review will be finished in November, and will "consider whether there is an appropriate public interest balance between transparency, accountability and the need for sensitive information to have robust protection, and whether the Act adequately recognises the need for a 'safe space' for policy development and frank advice".
Mal Fletcher, a Christian and social commentator, told Premier: "We've got a growing public concern about, on one hand, the increasing intrusion into personal activities by the government, snooping by bodies like GCHQ, and on the other hand, a lack of accountability by the government for its own activities - denying us the right to hold it to account for potentially game-changing decisions.
"That just doesn't seem fair to most people I think.
"Government is not an individual. They don't have the right to privacy in quite the same way, for the simple reason they serve us - they serve the people - and that can only happen in an environment of accountability.
[Whereas for individuals] "In the Christian worldview and the Scriptures and the Bible, conscience can be worded, can be persuaded, it can even be convicted, but it isn't ever bullied.
"So privacy is essential in allowing us a freedom of choice."
Listen to Premier's Aaron James speaking to Mal Fletcher here:
A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: "We fully support FOI but after more than a decade in operation we think it's time that the process was reviewed, to make sure it's working effectively for both hardworking taxpayers and citizens.
"We are therefore appointing an independent, cross party panel to look at this issue and assess how the practical processes of FOI can be improved."
