| | The '''Privacy Act''' of 1974, codified at 5 [[U.S.C.]] § 552a, is a federal law that protects individuals against misuse by government of their personal information. It creates private rights to sue the federal government both for damages and for injunctive relief, such as correcting information in, or removing it from, federal databases. More than 10,000 federal court decisions, and more than 1,000 state court decisions, discuss or decide issues relating to the Privacy Act. | | The '''Privacy Act''' of 1974, codified at 5 [[U.S.C.]] § 552a, is a federal law that protects individuals against misuse by government of their personal information. It creates private rights to sue the federal government both for damages and for injunctive relief, such as correcting information in, or removing it from, federal databases. More than 10,000 federal court decisions, and more than 1,000 state court decisions, discuss or decide issues relating to the Privacy Act. |
| | + | The Privacy Act applies exclusively against federal agencies. ''See Schmitt v. City of Detroit'', 395 F.3d 327, 328 (6th Cir. 2005). There is no right of action against a municipal or state agency under the Privacy Act. ''See Pennyfeather v. Tessler'', 431 F.3d 54, 56 (2d Cir. 2005). |
| | The Privacy Act typically prohibits disclosure by a federal agency of information contained in a system of records and relating to an individual, unless the individual has either requested the information himself, or has consented in writing to its disclosure. But there are eleven exceptions to this protection against disclosure of personal information. ''Id.'' at § 552a(b)(1)-(11).<ref>http://www.ssa.gov/gix/definitions.html</ref> | | The Privacy Act typically prohibits disclosure by a federal agency of information contained in a system of records and relating to an individual, unless the individual has either requested the information himself, or has consented in writing to its disclosure. But there are eleven exceptions to this protection against disclosure of personal information. ''Id.'' at § 552a(b)(1)-(11).<ref>http://www.ssa.gov/gix/definitions.html</ref> |