Privacy Act of 1974

The Privacy Act of 1974 is a United States federal law establishing rules for how federal agencies collect, maintain, use and disseminate personally identifiable information about individuals. Introduced by Senator Sam Ervin and passed by the 93rd United States Congress, the act was signed into law on December 31, 1974, and became effective on September 27, 1975. It requires federal agencies to obtain an individual's written consent before disclosing personal records except under limited exceptions, to give individuals access to their own records and a means to request correction of inaccurate ones, to maintain administrative and physical safeguards against unauthorized disclosure, and to publish notices describing their record systems in the Federal Register. The act applies to records federal agencies hold on United States citizens and lawfully admitted permanent residents, but it does not cover records kept by courts or other non-agency government bodies.