Technology has given people access to more information than ever before. There was a time that information such as social security numbers and bank accounts could be protected simply by shredding documents. Now this information can be found on the internet by almost anyone unless it is well protected. These laws help protect personal information from unauthorized users. Additionally, it gives the person providing the information certain rights. Each of the following laws have been enacted to provide protection of a person’s private information from unauthorized access.
The first law is the Privacy Act of 1974 (PA74). This requires an agency to obtain written permission from the individual providing the information before sharing it with another agency. It is also the right of an individual to access their own information for review and changes, and they may also determine what records pertaining to them are collected, maintained, used or distributed. There are exceptions that allow access to personal records and include law enforcement with a need to know, investigations, or administrative purposes just to name a few. An organization that may use the PA74 would be medical personnel when collecting medical information that will be recorded in a system of records.
Another law enacted in 1986 is the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA). This applies more directly with electronic storage including protection of communications during transport from sender to receiver, electronically stored information, and restricting how the government is allowed to collect information during investigations. When law officials record by phone, collect computer data or monitor any other electronic device, they must first have permission via a warrant. Everyone has been on the phone with a bank or large corporation and the representative with whom they are speaking