Citation[]
DHS Privacy Office, DHS Privacy Office 2011 Annual Report to Congress (Sept. 22, 2011) (full-text).
Overview[]
This report (covering July 1, 2010 to June 30, 2011) details improvements the DHS Privacy Office has made in strengthening privacy protections across the Department’s operations, while simultaneously fulfilling the Administration’s goals of transparency, public participation, and collaboration.
Part One of the Report discusses the DHS Privacy Office's and DHS components ongoing leadership in operationalizing privacy throughout the Department and across the federal government. It describes the DHS Privacy Office's work in privacy compliance, privacy policy, privacy incident response, oversight of DHS' information sharing practices and intelligence practices, and the Department's use of technology. It also describes the Office’s central role in privacy policy development across other federal departments and agencies, and highlights the privacy education and training the DHS Privacy Office provides for Department employees. Part One concludes with a description of privacy initiatives undertaken by the components to promote a culture of privacy at DHS.
Part Two of the Report describes the DHS Privacy Office's achievements in enhancing accountability and transparency across Department operations. It details the Office's FOIA-related activities and other work in furtherance of the Open Government Initiative. It then provides updates on the DHS Privacy Office's work on privacy issues associated with DHS redress programs, and on the Office's and the components' management of privacy complaints during the reporting period. Part Two concludes by summarizing the DHS public reporting on DHS activities and the work of the DHS Data Privacy and Integrity Advisory Committee (DPIAC).
Part Three of the Report provides an overview of the extensive efforts of the DHS Privacy Office in international matters over the past year. It describes the Office's multi-faceted outreach to enhance the Department's international partners' understanding of the U.S. privacy framework and implementation of DHS privacy policy, the Office's leadership in addressing the privacy implications of international agreements, and its advice on interpreting international privacy frameworks.
The Report concludes with a brief look into the future of privacy at DHS and the role of the DHS Privacy Office going forward.