FHFA-OIG Privacy Office
Senior Privacy Official
400 7th Street, SW
3rd Floor
Washington, D.C. 20219
Email: Privacy@fhfaoig.gov (for questions or to submit a request)
The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, establishes a code of fair information practices that governs the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personal information about individuals that is maintained in systems of records by federal agencies. A system of records is a group of any records under the control of an agency from which information is retrieved by the name of the individual or by some identifying particular assigned to the individual. The Act balances the government’s need to maintain information about individuals with the right of individuals to be protected against unwarranted invasions of their privacy by the Federal government.
How to Request Records Under the Privacy Act
Pursuant to the Privacy Act, U.S. citizens or aliens lawfully admitted for permanent U.S. residence status can seek information about themselves which is maintained in FHFA-OIG’s system of records, retrievable by their names or other personal identifiers. For detailed assistance on making a Privacy Act request, please see the instructions located on our FOIA webpage.
FHFA-OIG System of Records Notices (SORNs)
The Privacy Act establishes safeguards for the protection of certain records, which the federal government collects and maintains on United States citizens and aliens lawfully admitted for permanent residence. The Privacy Act only pertains to information that is maintained in a system of records. The Privacy Act requires each federal agency to publish a SORN in the Federal Register.
A SORN is intended to inform the public of:
- what kinds of personal information federal agencies maintain,
- how agencies limit the uses and disclosures of the information to only those compatible with the purpose for which the information was collected, and
- how an individual might request access or seek redress to their information.
FHFA-OIG’s SORN may be accessed here: https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2013-11-01/pdf/2013-26010.pdf.
Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs)
A PIA analyses how agencies handle information. It is intended to ensure that an agency handles information legally, securely, and in a manner designed to mitigate risks to privacy.
FHFA-OIG uses PIAs to identify and address information privacy when planning, developing, and implementing information technology systems that collect and maintain information. The goals in completing a PIA are to:
- Make informed policy and system design or procurement decisions regarding the collection of information;
- Ensure accountability for privacy issues;
- Analyze both technical and legal compliance with applicable privacy laws and regulations; and
- Provide documentation on the flow of personal information and information requirements within FHFA systems.
FHFA-OIG has issued three PIAs:
Office of Inspector General Case Management System - PIA
Office of Inspector General GSS PIA
Cyber Investigations Unit (CIU) Lab PIA
Computer Matching Notices and Agreements
FHFA-OIG does not have any computer matching notices or agreements.
FHFA-OIG’s Privacy Policy
Our Privacy Policy, which describes the types of information we collect from visitors to our website as well as how we use that and other information provided directly to us by the public, is available here.
Last Updated 6/8/2020