https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/5/552a
click on Notes
Congressional Findings and Statement
of Purpose
Pub. L. 93579,
§ 2, Dec. 31, 1974, 88 Stat. 1896,
provided that:
(a) The Congress finds that
(1) the privacy of
an individual
is directly affected by the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of
personal information by Federal agencies;
(2) the increasing
use of computers and sophisticated information technology, while essential to
the efficient operations of the Government, has greatly magnified the harm to individual
privacy that can occur from any collection, maintenance, use, or dissemination
of personal information;
(3) the
opportunities for an individual
to secure employment, insurance, and credit, and his right to due process, and
other legal protections are endangered by the misuse of certain information
systems;
(4) the right to
privacy is a personal and fundamental right protected by the Constitution of
the United States; and
(5) in order
to protect the privacy of individuals
identified in information systems maintained by Federal agencies, it is
necessary and proper for the Congress to regulate the collection, maintenance,
use, and dissemination of information by such agencies.
(b) The purpose of
this Act [enacting this section and provisions set out as notes under this section]
is to provide certain safeguards for an individual
against an invasion of personal privacy by requiring Federal agencies, except
as otherwise provided by law, to
(1) permit an individual
to determine what records pertaining to him are collected, maintained, used,
or disseminated by such agencies;
(2) permit an individual
to prevent
records pertaining to him obtained by such agencies for a particular
purpose from being used or made available for another purpose without his
consent;
(3) permit an individual
to gain access to information pertaining to him in Federal
agency records, to have a copy made of all or any portion thereof, and to
correct or amend such
records;
(4) collect, maintain,
use, or disseminate any
record of identifiable personal information in a manner that assures that
such action is for a necessary and lawful purpose, that the information is
current and accurate for its intended use, and that adequate safeguards are
provided to prevent misuse of such information;
(5) permit
exemptions from the requirements with respect to records
provided in this Act only in those cases where there is an important public
policy need for such exemption as has been determined by specific statutory
authority; and
(6) be subject to
civil suit for any damages which occur as a result of willful or intentional
action which violates any individuals
rights under this Act.
