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Privacy

The DHS Privacy Office is responsible for evaluating the Department programs, systems, and initiatives for potential privacy impacts, and providing strategies to reduce the privacy impact.

  • DHS Privacy Office Leadership and Organization

    View the organizational chart for the Office of the Chief Privacy Officer.

  • DHS/USCIS/PIA-048 USCIS International Biometric Processing Services

    Many countries now require biometric data from individuals filing applications for immigration related benefits. Several countries have partnered with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to collect the requisite biometrics and limited biographical information on behalf of their immigration services. On behalf of the country, USCIS collects biometric and biographic information at its 138 Application Support Centers and deletes the records immediately after it receives confirmation that the partner country has received the information. USCIS previously published DHS/USCIS/PIA-048, USCIS International Visa Project, to address USCIS collection of biometric and biographic information on behalf of other countries for international visa processing.

  • DHS/FEMA/PIA-030, FEMA Smartphone Application with Disaster Reporter Feature

    DHS/FEMA/PIA-030, FEMA Smartphone Application with Disaster Reporter Feature

  • DHS/ICE/PIA-037 – Electronic Health Records System

    The electronic Health Records system (eHR) is a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) case management system for maintaining records of medical treatment provided to individuals detained by ICE. ICE detainees receive medical, dental, and mental health evaluations and treatment necessary and appropriate for the individual’s medical condition and length of stay.

  • DHS/TSA/PIA-014(a) – Crew Member Self Defense Training Program

    The Transportation Security Administration's Crew Member Self-Defense Training (CMSDT) Program is a voluntary self-defense training course for U.S. commercial and cargo air carrier crew members. The program trains crew members on how to defend the flight deck against acts of criminal violence or air piracy. TSA previously published a Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) on this program on February 6, 2008. TSA has collected CMSDT Program information principally through completion of an electronic registration form hosted on the TSA.gov website. At times, information was collected through paper forms. TSA has updated the PIA to reflect that it will:  (1) collect information from crew members solely through electronic means; and (2) conduct personnel security suitability checks on American Association of Community College Site Coordinators so that they may be granted access to an existing secure TSA web-based system in order to process registrations on behalf of crew members.

  • Air and Marine Operations Surveillance System

    DHS/CBP/PIA-019 Air and Marine Operations Surveillance System

  • GeoSpace

    The U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) Office of Security and Integrity (OSI) developed GeoSpace to handle the tracking, receipt, and response to incidents that individuals report as Significant Incident Reports (SIR) in and around USCIS buildings and facilities. GeoSpace provides incident management for OSI in geospatial terms, which allows for the timely reporting of critical incidents, activities, and events to USCIS leadership and to the DHS National Operations Center. USCIS  conducted this Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) because GeoSpace collects, uses, and disseminates personally identifiable information (PII).

  • DHS/CBP/PIA-001 Advance Passenger Information System (APIS)

    U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has collected mandatory and voluntary advance passenger information (API) from air, rail, bus, and sea carriers for over a decade. CBP uses API to identify high-risk passengers and crew members who may pose a risk to border, aviation, or public security; may be a terrorist or suspected terrorist or affiliated with or suspected of being affiliated with terrorists; may be inadmissible; may be a person of interest; may otherwise be engaged in activity in violation of U.S. law; or may be the subject of wants or warrants. CBP is publishing this update to the longstanding Advance Passenger Information System (APIS) Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) series to: 1) expand the collection and receipt of voluntary API in the air, land, and sea environments, including from bridge and ferry operators; 2) document the collection of expanded biographic information from carriers; and, 3) update the data retention period to 13 months.

  • DHS/USSS/PIA-012 Electronic Name Check System

    The United States Secret Service (USSS) Information Resources Management Division has established a system called Credentialing Distribution System (CreDS). CreDS provides the USSS with the capability to electronically collect National Special Security Event (NSSE) prospective event worker information to enable automated criminal background checks. The Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) for CreDS was published in July 2013. This PIA Update is being completed because CreDS is being renamed to the Electronic Name Check System (E-Check).

  • DHS/FEMA/PIA-029 - Citizen Corps Program

    FEMA’s Office of Protection and National Preparedness (PNP), Individual and Community Preparedness Division (ICPD) administers the Citizen Corps Program, which also includes the Citizen Corps web-based application, and the Citizen Corps Database. Citizen Corps’ mission is to strengthen the collaboration between government and community leaders from all sectors to encourage citizens’ preparedness through education, training, and volunteer service to make communities safer, stronger, and better prepared to respond to all hazards and all threats. Through Citizen Corps, communities can establish and register Citizen Corps Councils (Councils) and Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) programs. This Privacy Impact Assessment analyzes Citizen Corps’ collection, use, maintenance, retrieval, and dissemination of personally identifiable information associated with points of contacts designated by Councils, CERTs, and other Citizen Corps partners.  June 28, 2013