Overview

The goal of the NSA Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA)/Privacy Act Office is to release as much information as possible, consistent with the need to protect classified or sensitive information under the exemption provisions of these laws.

FOIA generally provides that any person (with the exception of another federal agency, a fugitive from the law, or a representative of a foreign government) has a right, enforceable in court, to request access to federal agency records, except to the extent that such records (or portions thereof) are protected from disclosure by one of nine exemptions. As part of the Agency's compliance with the Electronic FOIA (E-FOIA) requirements, NSA has begun to post FOIA information that will inform the public of NSA missions and functions. For information on how to submit a FOIA request, please see the NSA FOIA Handbook.

Executive Order (EO) 13392, dated 19 December 2005, set new standards for Federal agency FOIA programs by ordering that agencies emphasize a new citizen-centered approach to the FOIA with a results-oriented focus. In response to that EO, NSA established a FOIA Requester Service Center and appointed a Chief FOIA Public Liaison Officer. The FOIA Requester Service Center serves as an initial point of contact for FOIA requesters to receive status updates and any appropriate information about their current requests. The Chief FOIA Public Liaison Officer is someone to whom requesters can raise concerns about the service received from the FOIA Requester Service Center. Contact information follows: