Overview of the Privacy Act of 1974
In 1974, the U.S. Senate passed the federal law on the right to privacy, titled the Privacy Act. It sets the requirements for national ministries to operate with personal data. In addition, access to documentation related to their data has been expanded for U.S. citizens. From certificates of education to court documents, any state agency was obliged to ensure relevant information provision as requested (Baltzan & Philips, 2022). This right did not apply to classified documents and materials of trials related to a person. However, due to errors and incorrect information, citizens have the right to adjust the received data.
Key Components of the Privacy Act
The central act’s components relate to the non-disclosure of information by federal agencies. For instance, no single agency is to reveal private data. However, it is possible to request it in the form of an officially written application or by the individual (“Privacy Act of 1974,” 2022). The Privacy Act requires that every agency of the U.S. government have an administrative and physical security system to prevent unauthorized disclosure of personal data.
Limitations and Exceptions Under the Act
In addition, the System of Records Notices (SORNs) can be found in the Federal Register. It signifies a degree of authority that allows for information retrieval, collection, and carrying out census by the Bureau of the Census, preservation of historical value and its storage in the National Archives, and statistical research (Watt, 2021). What is more, such a procedure by a federal agency can be conducted if a person poses a threat to society or if one’s data is insufficient for the court. The Privacy Law regulates each person’s records but only applies to information stored at the agency (“Privacy Act of 1974,” 2022). Thus, courts, executive bodies, and non-agency government organizations store data not covered by the provision in the Privacy Law, and there is no permission for these records.
References
Baltzan, P. & Philips, A. (2022). Business driven information systems (8th Ed.). McGraw-Hill.
Watt, E. (2021). State sponsored cyber surveillance: The right to privacy of communications and international law. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Privacy Act of 1974. (2022). Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties. Web.