The Privacy Act of 1974 provides safeguards against invasion of personal privacy through the misuse of records by Federal Agencies.
The Privacy Act was passed in 1974 to establish controls over what personal information is collected, maintained, used and disseminated by agencies in the executive branch of the Federal government.
The Privacy Act guarantees three primary rights:
For a complete list of the Department’s records collections systems, go to the Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) and the Systems of Records Notices (SORN) pages.
If you would like to request information about yourself under the Privacy Act, please follow the instructions outlined in the “Requesting Personal Records under the Privacy Act” section in the Information Access Guide.
Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA)
The E-Government Act of 2002 (“E-Gov”) requires Federal agencies to conduct a privacy impact assessment (PIA) for electronic information collections and information technology (IT) systems containing personally identifiable information (PII). A PIA is an analysis of how information is handled to:
Systems of Records Notices (SORNs)
A System of Records Notice is intended to inform the public about what kinds of personal information federal agencies maintain; to limit the uses and disclosures of the information to those compatible with the law permitting its collection; and to describe how an individual might request access to their information or to seek redress otherwise.
Department of State Major Information Lists
Major Information Systems List - a description of the Department of State’s Major Information Systems. A major information system is an information system that requires special management attention because of its importance to the Department’s mission; its high development, operating, or maintenance costs; or its significant role in the administration of the Department’s programs, finances, property, or other resources.
Exhibit 300 Reports – list of the Department’s major capital information technology investments. This report is submitted annually as part of the Presidential Budget process. Security and privacy issues for the investment are addressed, all questions are answered, and a Privacy Impact Assessment is provided in appropriate circumstances.
Additional Resources
OMB Privacy Guidance
DOJ’s Privacy Act Overview, 2010 Edition
Paperwork Reduction Act