Does the Privacy Act apply to all OSD employees?
Yes. As an OSD employee you “wear two hats.” On the one hand you are an individual citizen who is entitled to the full protection and rights afforded by the Privacy Act. On the other hand, you are a Federal employee who works with records containing personal information and who shares some responsibility in carrying out the requirements of the law. Unless you are a Privacy Act system manager or designee, you should never disclose information subject to the Privacy Act from the records in your care or allow unauthorized persons access to such records. The seriousness of this responsibility is evident from the penalties the Privacy Act imposes for knowing and willful violations of the law. Fines up to $5,000 can be imposed by the courts for willfully disclosing personal information that should not be released under the Privacy Act. Disciplinary actions may include reprimand, suspension, or termination of employment.
