Collecting Intelligence
The United States Government, including the CIA, has a solemn obligation to protect fully the legal rights of all Americans, including freedoms, civil liberties, and privacy rights guaranteed by federal law. The CIA collects, analyzes, and disseminates critical foreign intelligence information to national security policymakers in a manner consistent with this obligation.
All of CIA’s intelligence activities must be properly authorized, and the collection, retention, or dissemination of information considering United States persons may only be conducted pursuant to specific procedures approved by the Director of the CIA and the Attorney General. While the protection of national security requires that many of the CIA’s intelligence activities remain secret, in order to improve public understanding and trust and to allow the public to hold CIA accountable, CIA has released its procedures for protecting Americans’ personal information and has provided an extensive explanation of the authorizations and limitations regarding such information.
CIA's Executive Order 14086, Signals Intelligence Activities Procedures
About OPCL
The Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer serves as the principal advisor to the Director of the CIA and the Agency regarding privacy and civil liberties matters and is the CIA Transparency Officer, ensuring that the public is provided information on CIA activities as required by law. The Office of Privacy and Civil Liberties (OPCL) provides privacy and civil liberties guidance regarding the collection and handling of sensitive information across the Agency, trains Agency personnel regarding privacy and civil liberties protections, and reports on CIA privacy and civil liberties matters to oversight bodies and to the public.
OPCL Reports
Privacy and Civil Liberties Report: January 2023 - December 2023
Data Mining Report: January - December 2022
Privacy and Civil Liberties Report: July 2019 – December 2022
Potential QAs for Deep Dives – February 2022
PCLOB Report on CIA Activities – February 2022
CIA Public Release Statement Deep Dives – February 2022
CIA Public Release Statement Deep Dives – February 2022
Recommendations from PCLOB Staff Report – February 2022
Director Haines and Director Burns OPCL Memo Report – April 2021
Privacy and Civil Liberties Report: January – June 2019
Privacy and Civil Liberties Report: July – December 2018
Privacy and Civil Liberties Report: January – June 2018
Data Mining Report: January – December 2017
FISA Dissemination Report – August 2017
Privacy and Civil Liberties Report: July – December 2017
Privacy and Civil Liberties Report: January – June 2017
Data Mining Report: January – December 2016
Complaints Concerning Privacy and Civil Liberties
Members of the public may contact the CIA Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer to make a complaint regarding possible violations of privacy protections or civil liberties in the administration of CIA programs and operations. A complaint may be sent via postal mail to the following address:
Central Intelligence Agency
Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer
Washington, D.C. 20505
Members of the public may also submit a complaint using the web form. To ensure proper routing, please address your complaint to the Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer.
OPCL will review all complaints directed to the PCLO. A complaint must state the possible violation of privacy protections or civil liberties with sufficient detail to allow the PCLO to assess the nature of the complaint and whether a remedy may be appropriate. Due to limited resources, OPCL will not be able to respond to complaints that do not provide sufficiently detailed information. A response by the PCLO will neither confirm nor deny the accuracy of the complaint and/or whether the individual has been subject to CIA action, but will confirm that the complaint has been properly investigated and indicate, when appropriate, that the matter has been remedied or found to be in compliance with applicable law or policy. A complaint also may be referred to the CIA Office of Inspector General or to another federal government agency, as appropriate.
Privacy Act and FOIA Requests
If you are seeking to request records related to yourself or another individual, pursuant to the Privacy Act or Freedom of Information Act, please follow the instructions found here:
Before submitting your request, check to see if the document is available in the CIA FOIA Electronic Reading Room.
More Resources
The Privacy Act of 1974, 5 U.S.C. § 552a, as amended
System of Records Notice (SORN) - Vol. 87, No. 227
Privacy Act Exemptions - Part 1901
Executive Order 12333: United States Intelligence Activities, as amended
42 U.S.C. § 2000ee-1: privacy and civil liberties officers
Presidential Policy Directive (PPD-28): signals intelligence activities
IC on the record: Office of the Director of National Intelligence – 702 Minimization Procedures