Privacy Office

About the Privacy Office
Read a brief overview of the first statutorily mandated Privacy Office at any federal agency, whose mission is to:

• preserve and enhance privacy protections for all individuals;
• promote the transparency of Department of Homeland Security (Department) operations; and
• serve as a leader in the privacy community.

Privacy Compliance Documents
Our office is responsible for evaluating proposed and existing Department technologies, programs, regulations, and legislation for potential privacy impacts. We use our compliance documentation tools to identify and reduce privacy impacts:

• Privacy Office Official Guidances ensure the safeguarding of personally identifiable information (PII)
• Privacy Impact Assessments (PIAs) assess how PII is collected, used, disseminated, and maintained. Find them here, listed by date of issuance.
• Systems of Records Notices (SORNs) are required for every system of records that collects PII. Find them here, listed in numerical order.

Everything FOIA
Find out how and where to submit a FOIA request. Get contact information, statutes and resources, and peruse our electronic reading room.

International Privacy Activities
Read about the work of our International Privacy Policy Group to inform foreign governments about the U.S. privacy framework.

Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee (DPIAC)
Access meeting and membership information, and download reports issued by the DPIAC.

Reports 
Download our privacy policy guidances, privacy complaint reports, annual reports to Congress, FOIA reports, FISMA reports, Section 803 and 804 reports, Biennial Matching Activity Report and component privacy statements.

Privacy Workshops
Get information on upcoming workshops and transcripts of past workshops.