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Privacy Act The Privacy Act (5 U.S.C. § 552a) was enacted in 1974 in response to rapidly developing computer technology. There was a growing fear that this technology would allow the government to amass a large amount of information on individuals without their consent or without informing them how the information would be used or disseminated. The Privacy Act protects individuals by requiring Federal agencies to make public what "system of records" they maintain on individuals and to inform individuals about how any personal information will be used prior to collecting it. In addition, any person can request copies of the records an agency has on him or her and may make corrections or amendments to any portion of the information that he or she feels is inaccurate. No one except the individual named can request copies of any material containing personal information. The Privacy Act is similar to the Freedom of Information Act in that there is an elaborate system of procedures and exemptions that agencies follow in responding to requests for information. There is a tension between the Privacy Act and FOIA. The former is intended to protect certain government-held information from disclosure, while the latter is intended to promote disclosure.
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