Privacy Program

Enacted in 1974, the Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. 552a) balances the government’s need to maintain information about individuals with the rights of individuals to be protected against unwarranted invasions of their privacy stemming from federal agencies’ collection, maintenance, use, and disclosure of personal information about them.

The Privacy Act established controls over what personnel information the federal government collects and how it uses or discloses that information. The Privacy Act has four basic objectives:

1. To restrict disclosure of personally identifiable records maintained by agencies.
2. To grant individuals increased rights of access to agency records maintained on them.
3. To grant individuals the right to seek amendment of agency records maintained on themselves upon a showing that the records are not accurate, relevant, timely, or complete.
4. To establish a code of "fair information practices" that requires agencies to comply with statutory norms for collection, maintenance, and dissemination of records.

• Privacy Policy Contacts
• Guidelines and References
• Privacy Impact Assessments
• Public Privacy Impact Assessments
• Privacy Act Notices
• E-Gov Act Privacy Requirements
• Intranet site for DOI Employees (Private)

NEW Mandatory Privacy Act and
Records Management Computer-Based Training

For questions regarding the Departmental Privacy Program, please contact the Departmental Privacy Officer:
Pamala Quallich
U.S. Department of the Interior
1849 C Street, N.W.
MS-7438
Washington, D.C. 20240
202-208-3909