Home
Opog

FOIA, Privacy Act Program

The responsibility for the development and maintenance of Privacy Act (PA) policies, procedures, and guidance is handled through the Office of Privacy and Open Government, PA Program. The PA Program Office is also responsible for oversight of the Department of Commerce's PA program. The Department's PA operations are decentralized between 13 bureaus and operating units (BOUs). From this page, you can link to those BOUs to learn about how the PA program is structured, and/or review our guidance and resources related to PA.

DEPARTMENT PRIVACY ACT OFFICE Departmental Privacy Act Officer and responsibilities and PA Mission Statement. Director, SAOP, Chief Privacy Officer Deputy, Departmental Privacy Operations Authority & Responsibilities Commerce Privacy Mission Statement Privacy Council Privacy Office Contact Information		BOU PRIVACY ACT OFFICES The FOIA generally provides that any person has the right to request access to federal agency records or information except to the extent the records are protected from disclosure by any of nine exemptions contained in the law or by one of three special law enforcement record exclusions. Census Bureau PIA Guide and PIAs Economic Development Administration Revolving Loan Fund Mgmt. System PIAs International Trade Administration Foreign Trade Zones Board PIAs National Institute of Standards and Technology PIAs National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PIAs Office of the Secretary PIAs US Patent and TrademarkPIAs PIA Resources PIA Templates & Brochures		The PRIVACY ACT of 1974 The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a, provides safeguards against invasion of personal privacy through the misuse of records by Federal Agencies. Please Note: The Privacy Act prohibits the disclosure of a record about an individual from a system of records absent the written consent of the individual, unless the disclosure is pursuant to one of twelve statutory exceptions. The Act also provides individuals with a means by which to seek access to and amendment of their records, and sets forth various agency record-keeping requirements. Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. 552a Privacy Act of 1974 Information
				Return to Top

PRIVACY ACT REQUESTS

A Privacy Act request allows individuals to gain access to their own personal records (unless the requested records are exempted from disclosure), and to seek correction or amendment of federally maintained records that are inaccurate, incomplete, untimely. Privacy Act requests made to the Department of Commerce allows individuals to gain access to records about yourself, and are filed and can be retrieved by your name or personal identifier (e.g., Social Security number).

SYSTEM OF RECORDS NOTICES (SORNs)

A system of records notice (SORN) 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.

–		Government Wide SORNs

Return to Top


RESOURCES List of Privacy Act-related resources. Tech Tuesday Trainings	TRAINING List of Privacy Act-related training opportunities. Reports	FAQ Frequently asked questions and factual information about the Privacy Act and related information. What is personally identifiable information (PII)? What are examples of personally identifiable information (PII)? What are the risks if personally identifiable information (PII) is misused? Why should I be interested in the Privacy Act? What information is covered under the Privacy Act? What is a System of Records? What is a System of Records Notice (SORN)? How does the government inform the public about personally identifiable information (PII) being held in its records systems that are covered by the Privacy Act? Who can I contact if I have additional questions about the privacy of my information? What does it mean when a system of record notice refers to a routine use? How will I know if an incident has possibly occurred that resulted in a significant compromise of my personally identifiable information (PII)? What do I do if I receive a letter from DoD that my personally identifiable information (PII) has been or may have been compromised? What should I do if I suspect my identity has been stolen? Where can I read more about federal inf ormation privacy requirements? What is a Privacy Act Statement? What does a Privacy Act Statement tell me?
		Return to Top

Bureau and Operating Unit (Component) Notices

International Trade Administration (ITA)

Content 1

Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS)

Content 1

Census Bureau (CENSUS)

Content 1

Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)

Content 1

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

Content 1

National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA)

Content 1

Office of Inspector General (OIG)

Content 1

Patent and Trademark Ofice (PTO)

Content 1

Department-wide Notices

Content 2

Goverment-wide Notices

Content 2

Breadcrumb

FOIA, Privacy Act Program

DEPARTMENT PRIVACY ACT OFFICE

BOU PRIVACY ACT OFFICES

The PRIVACY ACT of 1974

PRIVACY ACT REQUESTS

SYSTEM OF RECORDS NOTICES (SORNs)

RESOURCES

TRAINING

FAQ