ABOUT THE OFFICE

MISSION AND FUNCTIONS

The mission of the Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office is to implement the Department of Defense's Privacy and Civil Liberties programs through advice, monitoring, official reporting, and training. The DPCLO is responsible for implementation of the Department of Defense (DoD) Privacy Program.

The Program is based on the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), as implemented by Office of Management and Budget (OMB) (OMB Circular A-130) and DoD regulatory authority (DoD Directive 5400.11 and DoD 5400.11-R), and is intended to provide a comprehensive framework regulating how and when the Department collects, maintains, uses, or disseminates personal information on individuals. The purpose of the Program is to balance the information requirements and needs of the Department with the privacy interests and concerns of the individual.

In discharging this assigned responsibility, the Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office performs multiple functions, to include:

• Developing policy, providing program oversight, and serving as the DoD focal point for Defense Privacy matters.
• Providing day-to-day policy guidance and assistance to the DoD Components in their implementation and execution of their Privacy Programs.
• Reviewing new and existing DoD policies which impact on the personal privacy of the individual.
• Reviewing, coordinating, and submitting for publication in the Federal Register Privacy Act system of records notices and Privacy Act rulemaking by the DoD Components.
• Developing and coordinating Privacy Act computer matching programs within the DoD Components and between the DoD Components and other Federal and State agencies.
• Providing administrative and operational support to the Defense Privacy Board, the Defense Data Integrity Board, and the Defense Privacy Board Legal Committee.

IN THE NEWS March 08, 2012

These articles are intended for informational purposes only. The opinions expressed in each article belong solely to the article's author(s) and do not reflect any opinion, policy statement, recommendation or position, expressed or implied, of the Defense Privacy and Civil Liberties Office or of the U.S. Department of Defense.

• DHS, Not NSA, Should Lead Cybersecurity, Pentagon Official Says - Wired, 03/01 - In the midst of an ongoing turf battle over how big a role the National Security Agency should play in securing the nation’s critical infrastructure, a Defense Department official asserted on Wednesday that the military’s controversial intelligence agency should take a backseat to the Department of Homeland Security in this regard.
• Holder: U.S. Can Lawfully Target American Citizens - WaPo, 03/06 - The U.S. government has the right to order the killing of American citizens overseas if they are senior al-Qaeda leaders who pose an imminent terrorist threat and cannot reasonably be captured, Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. said Monday.
• State Agencies, Colleges Demand Applicants' Facebook Passwords - MSNBC, 03/06 - If you think privacy settings on your Facebook and Twitter accounts guarantee future employers or schools can’t see your private posts, guess again. Employers and colleges find the treasure-trove of personal information hiding behind password protected accounts of privacy walls just too tempting, and increasingly, they are demanding full access from applicants and students.
• DHS to Congress: Biometric Immigrant Exit Tracking System Coming Within 'Weeks' - FOXNews, 03/06 - The Department of Homeland Security is finalizing its plan for a biometric data system to track when immigrants leave the United States and will present it to congress within “weeks,” a top department official told a House Homeland Security subcommittee Tuesday.
• Civil Libertarians Slam McCain Cybersecurity Bill – Chicago Trib, 03/06 - A cybersecurity bill introduced by Republican Senator John McCain could dramatically expand the domestic reach of U.S. intelligence agencies and potentially give them massive troves of emails, civil liberties advocates said. “This is a privacy nightmare that will eventually result in the military substantially monitoring the domestic, civilian Internet,” said Michelle Richardson of the American Civil Liberties Union.
• Police Given Direct Line to Cell Phone Searches - CBS, 03/06 - Think about all the personal information we keep in our cell phones: It’s something to consider after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit ruled it is now legal for police to search cell phones without a warrant. Former Dallas FBI Agent Danny Defenbaugh said the ruling gives law enforcement a leg up.
• Hackers Arrested as One Turns Witness – WSJ, 03/06 - Federal prosecutors brought charges against a group of men allegedly behind “LulzSec” – a globe-spanning collective of computer hackers who wreaked havoc on companies, governments and individuals world-wide – after one turned government informant.
• Mock Cyber Attack on New York Used by Obama to Pitch Senate Bill - Bloomberg, 03/08 - The Obama administration simulated a cyber attack on New York City’s power supply in a Senate demonstration aimed at winning support for legislation to boost the nation’s computer defenses. Senators from both parties gathered behind closed doors in the U.S. Capitol yesterday for the classified briefing attended by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, FBI Director Robert Mueller and other administration officials.
• FBI Launches Unprecedented Attack on NYPD Over Muslim Surveillance Tactics - CBS, 03/07 - The head of the Newark FBI said Wednesday the NYPD’s monitoring of Muslims in New Jersey has had a chilling effect on the feds’ ability to gather counter terrorism intelligence. In the annals of policing this is unheard of.