DHS/FEMA/PIA-041 Operational Use of Publicly Available Social Media for Situational Awareness

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) proposes to establish a new system of records titled, ‘‘DHS/Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)–013 Operational Use of Publicly Available Social Media Internet Sources for Situational Awareness System of Records.’’ This system of records authorizes DHS/FEMA to monitor, collect, and maintain information from publicly available social media sources to provide critical situational awareness in support of FEMA’s mission to reduce the loss of life and property and protect the nation from all hazards, including natural disasters, acts of terrorism, and other man-made disasters. FEMA’s social media monitoring initiative was neither designed nor intended to collect personally identifiable information (PII); however, given the unpredictable nature of disasters and emergency management, the content that is posted, and the voluntary and unrestricted nature of social media, it is possible for FEMA to collect, maintain, and in extremis circumstances, disseminate a limited amount of PII to first responders. FEMA is publishing this System of Records Notice because FEMA may collect PII from social media for certain narrowly tailored categories. For example, in the event of an in extremis situation involving potential life and death, FEMA will collect and share certain PII with Federal, State, local, tribal, and territorial first responders in order for them to take the necessary actions to save a life, such as the name and location of a person asking for help during a man-made or natural disaster. This new system of records will be included in the DHS inventory of record systems. APRIL 2016.

Associated SORN: DHS/FEMA-013 Operational Use of Publicly Available Social Media Internet Sources of Situational Awareness