The Code of Fair Information Practices (FIPPs)
FIPPs: is a set of principles that guide how organizations handle personal information:
Individual participation: People should be able to find out what information is being collected about them, and how it's being used.
Access and amendment: People should be able to access and correct their personal information.
Accountability: Organizations should be responsible for complying with the FIPPs, and should monitor and document their compliance.
Purpose specification: Organizations should specify the purpose for collecting personal data, and limit its use to those purposes.
Security: Organizations should take precautions to prevent misuse of personal data.
Quality and integrity: Organizations should ensure that personal data is accurate, relevant, and timely.
Minimization: Organizations should only collect and store personal data that's necessary to accomplish a specific purpose.
The FIPPs were developed to address the risks to privacy posed by the increasing use of electronic information technologies. They are not precise legal requirements, but rather provide a framework for balancing privacy with other public policy interests.
The Privacy Act of 1974 established the FIPPs as the code of fair information practices for federal agencies. The act requires agencies to provide notice of their systems of records, and prohibits them from disclosing an individual's records without their written consent.