What is the primary purpose of the Privacy Act of 1974?

The Privacy Act of 1974 was specifically enacted to protect individuals' personal information from being misused by federal agencies. Its primary purpose is to establish a Code of Fair Information Practices that governs the collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of personally identifiable information held by federal government agencies. The act emphasizes the importance of safeguarding personal privacy and ensures that individuals have the right to access their records and, in certain cases, to request amendments if the information is inaccurate.

Furthermore, by requiring federal agencies to inform individuals about how their data is collected and used, the act aims to create a transparent system that respects the privacy of individuals while allowing necessary governmental functions to continue. This foundational principle reflects a commitment to protecting citizens’ privacy in an era increasingly characterized by the extensive use of personal data. Other options, while relevant to different aspects of privacy and government operations, do not encapsulate the core objective of the Privacy Act as succinctly as the safeguarding of individual privacy regarding federal records.