SAA Statement on Privacy and Government Records

CHICAGO—The people of the United States entrust government archives and records repositories with safeguarding countless numbers of records. These records include large quantities of private information related to millions of people. Ensuring the sanctity and privacy of personal information is a paramount responsibility for government archives, and it is critical in maintaining the reputation of archives and records centers as trustworthy stewards of the public’s information.

Recent reports of improper releases of private information from government agencies managing records are deeply concerning. Last week, Mikie Sherrill shared information related to the release of a minimally redacted copy of her military records by the National Personnel Records Center, an operational unit of the National Archives and Records Administration. Earlier this year, when the White House released unredacted records related to the assassination of John F. Kennedy, those who released the information inadvertently made personal information—including Social Security numbers of living individuals—available to the public. There is no excuse for the occurrence of such incidents, inadvertent or otherwise.

Policy makers have created a robust infrastructure to balance the competing interests of privacy and access to information. United States federal agencies have multiple layers of statutory and regulatory checks to ensure that privacy is protected at the same time that public records requests are properly fulfilled. These improper releases did not occur because our systems are inadequate. It is imperative that archives and records centers are appropriately staffed with trained professionals and robustly funded to guarantee adherence to established protocols that prevent the improper release of private information.

SAA Position Statement on Private Information in Government Records (2017)