Chapter 11 of the Bankruptcy Code provides that the U.S. Trustee's Office shall appoint an unsecured creditors committee and other committees as it deems appropriate.

The committee is to generally provide access to information for creditors who hold claims of the kind represented by the committee, solicit and receive comments from the creditors, and be subject to a court order that compels any additional report or disclosure to creditors. Courts hold that official committees have diverse duties such as negotiating for a chapter 11 plan, supervising the debtor, and investigating the debtor's assets and affairs. Creditors who are not members of the committee generally are not entitled to confidential information including information protected by the attorney-client privilege. 

The bankruptcy court may require the committee to provide access to information through an internet website. The Bankruptcy Court of the Southern District of New York in Refco ordered that such a website contain the following:

1. general information concerning the chapter 11 case, including case dockets and docket filings,
   
2. monthly committee written reports summarizing recent proceedings, events, and public financial information,
   
3. highlights of significant events in the case,
   
4. calendar of upcoming significant events,
   
5. access to the claims docket,
   
6.  a general overview of the chapter 11 process,
   
7. press releases issued by each of the committees and the debtor,
   
8. a registration form for creditors to request "real-time" case updates via e-mail,
9. a form to submit creditor questions, comments, and requests for information,
   
10. responses to creditor questions, comments and requests for access to information,
    
11. answers to frequently asked questions,
    
12. links to other relevant websites

A California bankruptcy court recently required a creditors' committee to set up a website in a medium size case where the debtor had more than $25 million in assets.