Rights & liberties
Privacy Act of 1974
The law governing how federal agencies collect, keep, and share records about individuals, and giving people the right to see and correct their own records.
In full
Agencies must publish notice of each system of records, limit disclosure without consent, and let individuals request access and amendment. Its many exceptions, including a broad routine use provision, limit its practical bite. It applies to federal agencies only, not to states or private companies.
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A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.