PostgreSQL: User cannot see some tables in information_schema.tables despite permissions

I am encountering an issue in PostgreSQL where a specific user cannot see all the tables in information_schema.tables, even though all tables belong to the same database and schema.

Context:

• PostgreSQL version: 14.5
• All tables are in a single database (not the postgres database).
• The user has been granted access to the schema and tables using:

GRANT USAGE ON SCHEMA public TO my_user;
GRANT SELECT ON ALL TABLES IN SCHEMA public TO my_user;
ALTER DEFAULT PRIVILEGES IN SCHEMA public GRANT SELECT ON TABLES TO my_user;

• The user can see some tables in information_schema.tables, but others are missing.

What I’ve checked:

• Verified privileges on the missing tables using information_schema.role_table_grants:

SELECT table_schema, table_name, grantee, privilege_typeFROM information_schema.role_table_grants
WHERE table_name = 'missing_table';

• Ensured the user has USAGE privileges on the public schema:

SELECT schema_name, grantee, privilege_type
FROM information_schema.role_usage_grants
WHERE schema_name = 'public';

• Verified that the missing tables are owned by the same user as the visible ones:

SELECT table_schema, table_name, table_owner
FROM information_schema.tables
WHERE table_name IN ('visible_table', 'missing_table');

• Checked the user’s roles and privileges using:

SELECT * FROM information_schema.role_table_grants WHERE grantee = 'my_user';

Observations:

• The user can query the visible tables without issues.
• The user can also query the missing tables directly, e.g.:

SELECT * FROM public.missing_table;

This works without any errors, suggesting that the user does have sufficient privileges on the table itself. However, the tables do not appear in information_schema.tables.

Question:

• What could cause certain tables to be invisible in information_schema.tables for a user, even though they belong to the same schema and the same GRANT commands were applied?
• How can I troubleshoot this further to identify the root cause?

Additional Information:

• All tables are part of the public schema.
• I have administrative access to the database and can execute any necessary queries or provide more details.

Any help or guidance on resolving this would be greatly appreciated!