LAST MIDTERM ACTIVITY

Privacy Act of 1974 was designed to protect individuals from an increasingly powerful and potentially intrusive federal government. The statute was triggered by the report published by the Department of Health, Education and Welfare (HEW), which recommended a "Code of Fair Information Practices" to be followed by all federal agencies.
The Privacy Act incorporates the Code of Fair Information Practices recommended by HEW and empowers individuals to control the federal government's collection, use, and dissemination of sensitive personal information. The Act prohibits agencies from disclosing records to third parties or other agencies without the consent of the individual to whom the record pertains. The prohibition is weakened by several exceptions. As early as 1977, the Privacy Protection Study Commission found that the Privacy Act was vague and would likely not meet its stated purposes.