Privacy and Civil Liberties Program
Overview
The Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness (OUSD(P&R)) Privacy and Civil Liberties Program is responsible for providing guidance on managing and safeguarding personally identifiable information (PII) collected and maintained within OUSD(P&R), in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), and all other relevant federal laws and Department of Defense policy.
System of Records Notices
The Privacy Act requires all executive branch agencies to have a completed System of Records Notice (SORN) for any collection of PII, which retrieves information about an individual using the individual’s name, an identifying number or symbol, or other identifying element assigned to the individual, before a system can begin to operate. The SORN provides notice to the public of the conditions, contents, and procedures for a system of records, including system identifications, system locations, categories of records and individuals contained in the system, access procedures, and legal exemptions.
For a current list of all OUSD(P&R) SORNs visit:
https://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/SORNsIndex/DOD-Component-Notices/OSDJS-Article-List/
Privacy Impact Assessments
Section 208 of the E-Government Act of 2002 requires all federal government agencies to conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for all new or substantially changed information technology systems which collect, maintain, or disseminate PII from the public. The PIA helps ensure PII handling conforms to applicable legal, regulatory, and policy requirements regarding privacy, and appropriate safeguards are in place to mitigate potential privacy risks. In accordance with DoD Instruction 5400.16, OUSD(P&R) is required to publish section 1 of the DD Form 2930 (DoD PIA template). The following systems have a completed and approved DD Form 2930 on file with the OUSD(P&R) Privacy and Civil Liberties Program:
Authorities and Guidance
In addition to the Privacy Act of 1974 and the E-Government Act of 2002, the OUSD(P&R) Privacy and Civil Liberties Program provides oversight and compliance with the following DoD policies:
- Department of Defense Directive 5400.11, “DoD Privacy and Civil Liberties Program,” January 29, 2019
- DoD 5400.11-R, “DoD Privacy Program,” May 4, 2007
- DoD Manual 5400.11, Volume 2, “DoD Privacy and Civil Liberties Programs: Breach Preparedness and Response Plan,” May 6, 2021
- Department of Defense Instruction 1000.30, “Reduction of Social Security Number (SSN) Use Within DoD,” August 1, 2012
For a complete list of all relevant Federal and DoD privacy policies visit:
https://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/Authorities-and-Guidance/
Privacy Act Requests
The Privacy Act allows United States citizens or Legal Permanent Residents to access, correct, or amend records maintained about themselves within a system of record, that is, a system from which records about individuals are retrieved by personal identifier. All Privacy Act requests must be submitted in writing and be requested by the individual to whom the records pertain.
To submit a Privacy Act Request for records maintained within an OUSD(P&R) system of record, follow the instructions found at:
https://dpcld.defense.gov/Privacy/Resources/Privacy-Act-Request/