About the Privacy Office

The Department of Homeland Security Privacy Office is the first statutorily required privacy office in any federal agency, responsible for evaluating Department programs, systems, and initiatives for potential privacy impacts, and providing mitigation strategies to reduce the privacy impact.

DHS Privacy Office Guide to Implementing Privacy (PDF- 34 pgs, 349 KB)

Mission

The mission of the Privacy Office is to preserve and enhance privacy protections for all individuals, to promote transparency of Department operations, and to serve as a leader in the federal privacy community.

Our office works with every Department component and program to ensure that privacy considerations are addressed when planning or updating any program, system or initiative. We strive to ensure that technologies used at the Department sustain, and do not erode, privacy protections.

The Privacy Office:

• Evaluates Department legislative and regulatory proposals involving collection, use, and disclosure of personally identifiable information (PII)
• Centralizes FOIA and Privacy Act operations to provide policy and programmatic oversight, and support implementation across the Department
• Operates a Department-wide Privacy Incident Response Program to ensure that incidents involving PII are properly reported, investigated and mitigated, as appropriate
• Responds to complaints of privacy violations and provides redress, as appropriate
• Provides training, education and outreach to build a culture of privacy across the Department and transparency to the public.

Leadership and Organization

Mary Ellen Callahan was appointed Chief Privacy Officer and Chief FOIA Officer by Secretary Napolitano in March 2009.

• Authorities and Responsibilities of the Chief Privacy Officer

The Privacy Office is structured to create a culture of privacy throughout the Department. We use the DHS Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs) as our policy framework to enhance privacy protections by assessing the nature and purpose for all PII collected to fulfill the Department's mission.

Privacy Contact Information

Department of Homeland Security Privacy Office

By mail or phone:
Department of Homeland Security
Washington, D.C. 20528
Attn: Privacy Office

Phone: 703-235-0780

By e-mail:
privacy@dhs.gov

Privacy Offices Department-wide

Contact information for component privacy offices.