Your Rights under the Privacy ActContent updated on January 3, 2005 What is Privacy?Privacy is the right to be left alone and to control the conditions under which information pertaining to you is collected, used and disseminated. What is the Privacy Act?The Privacy Act, passed by Congress in 1974, establishes certain controls over what personal information is collected by the federal government and how it is used. This law guarantees three primary rights:
What Information Can I Request Under the Privacy Act?The Privacy Act applies only to records about individuals maintained by agencies in the executive branch of the federal government. It applies to these records only if they are in a "system of records," which means they are retrieved by an individual's name, Social Security number, or some other personal identifier. In other words, the Privacy Act does not apply to information about individuals in records that are filed under other subjects, such as organizations or events, unless the agency also indexes and retrieves them by individual names or other personal identifiers. There are 10 exemptions to the Privacy Act under which an agency can withhold certain kinds of information from you. Examples of exempt records are those containing classified information on national security and those concerning criminal investigations. Another exemption often used by agencies is that which protects information that would identify a confidential source. For example, if an investigator questions a person about your qualifications for federal employment and that person agrees to answer only if his identity is protected, then his name or any information that would identify him can be withheld. Records can also be used anonymously for statistical purposes. All 10 exemptions are specified in the Privacy Act. If you are interested in more details, you should read the Privacy Act in its entirety. How Does the Privacy Act Affect Me on the DOT’s Web site?While you are visiting the DOT’s Web site, we will automatically collect information about your visit that does not identify you personally. We can tell the computer, browser, and web service you are using. We also know the date, time, and pages you visit. Collecting this information helps us design the site to suit your needs. In the event of a known security or virus threat, we may collect information on the web content you view. Some of your additional rights under the Privacy Act include:
Why the DOT Collects Information from YouOur principal purpose for collecting personal information online is to provide you with what you need and want, address security and virus concerns, and to ease the use of our website. Additional reasons we collect information include:
Sharing Your InformationWe may share personally identifiable information you provide to us online with representatives within DOT’s Operating Administrations and related entities, other federal government agencies, or other named representatives as needed to speed your request or transaction. In a government-wide effort to combat security and virus threats, we may share some information we collect automatically, such as IP address, with other federal government agencies. You Have the Right to Access Your InformationIf DOT has any records about you on file, you have a right to know about them. You can access and verify this information by following the Department’s Disclosure Procedures.
|
||||
Safety | News | Dockets & Regulations | About DOT | Jobs & Education | FOIA | FAQs | Downloads | ||||
U.S. Department of Transportation, 400 7th Street, S.W., Washington D.C. 20590 Phone: 202-366-4000 |