DHS Privacy Office - About the Privacy Office

Overview

The Privacy Office works to protect the privacy of all individuals, and to ensure compliance with Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requirements for the Department of Homeland Security (Department). We have expertise in privacy laws, both domestic and international, that help us inform privacy policy development both within the Department and in collaboration with the rest of the federal government. Our office is responsible for evaluating Department programs, systems, and initiatives for potential privacy impacts, and providing mitigation strategies to reduce the privacy impact. We also advise senior leadership to ensure that privacy protections are implemented throughout the Department.

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Audience

We are responsible for building a culture of privacy across the Department. We train Department personnel on the importance of safeguarding privacy and complying with federal laws and Department privacy policies. Our constituents also include the entire federal government, the broad community of privacy advocates, and the general public. In addition, our foreign outreach provides education on the U.S. privacy framework to other countries, international travelers, and international forums.

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Strategic Objectives

Our office works with every component and program in the Department 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. We also implement the Department’s Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs) governing the use of personally identifiable information (PII) through a comprehensive compliance process.

The Privacy Office also:

• Evaluates Department legislative and regulatory proposals involving the collection, use, and disclosure of 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
  

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How Can You Work With Us?

Department employees and contractors

• Partner with us when planning or updating any program, system, or initiative to ensure compliance with privacy laws; know when to prepare privacy compliance documents, including Privacy Threshold Analysis, Privacy Impact Assessments, and System of Records Notices
• Educate yourself through our training programs on the proper handling of PII and when and how to report a privacy incident
• Respond promptly to all FOIA requests

Privacy community & the public

• Contact us so we can respond to your privacy concerns or questions
• Participate in our workshops and educational opportunities

International partners

• Learn about the U.S. privacy framework
• Work with us to create privacy-protective international information sharing agreements
• Help identify practical implementation mechanisms for established privacy best practices, such as the internationally recognized Fair Information Practice Principles
  

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Resources

Return to our Main Page to find a host of resources, including:

• Privacy policy guidance and reports
• How to submit a FOIA request
• FOIA electronic reading room
• International activities

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