Privacy Act Waiver

The Privacy Act of 1974 governs the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information about individual American citizens that is maintained in government databases and files.  Under the Privacy Act, the United States government may not:

• Disclose personally identifiable information about any American citizen. This includes information about an American citizen's welfare, whereabouts, travel intentions, or legal problems. 
• Disclose this or any other information about an American citizen to anyone, including family members or Congressional representatives,
• Disclose any non-public information about an American citizen to members of the media or of foreign governments.

According to the Privacy Act of 1974, no official of the United States government may disclose any information about an American Citizen without his or her express written permission.

The officers of the United States Department of State take seriously their responsibilities under the Privacy Act to protect the interests and information of American citizens, and are grateful for your understanding.