Freedom of Information Act
The 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 the 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, the NRO posts FOIA information that will inform the public of NRO missions and functions. For information on how to submit a FOIA request, please refer to FOIA.gov.
The Information Review and Release Group (IRRG) administers the NRO’s FOIA program. The goal of the FOIA program is to release as much information as possible, consistent with the need to protect classified and sensitive information under the exemption provisions of the law. Where discretionary releases can be made without causing harm, the Chief of the IRRG, as the Initial Denial Authority, and the Chief Information Officer, as the Appellate Authority, use their discretion to release information even where an exemption may be available.
Because of the sensitivity of NRO's functions and activities, the most often cited exemptions are (b)(1) (national security information) and (b)(3) (exemption by statute). The statutes most often applied to the protection of information are the following:
- 10 U.S.C. § 424 which states: "Except as required by the President or as provided in subsection (c), no provision of law shall be construed to require the disclosure of (1) The organization or any function ...(2)... number of persons employed by or assigned or detailed to any such organization or the name, official title, occupational series, grade, or salary of any such person ...(b) Covered Organizations ... the National Reconnaissance Office";
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50 U.S.C. § 432a, which exempts operational files of the NRO from the publication, disclosure, search and review provisions of the FOIA.
FOIA Request Process
FOIA Resources
Declassified Records
NRO Annual Reports
Privacy Act
The Privacy Act (PA) protects an individual's privacy by putting controls on federal agencies in the collection, use, maintenance, and dissemination of personal information. In addition, it entitles individuals to access federal agency records or to request an amendment to records that are maintained in a file retrievable by an individual's name or personal identifier, except to the extent that the information is exempt from release. An individual, in the context of the PA, is defined as a U.S. citizen or an alien lawfully admitted for permanent residence.
The PA also requires that agency records be accurate, relevant, timely, and complete, and amendments are limited to these criteria. However, amendments are normally restricted to correcting factual errors and not matters of official judgments, such as performance ratings, or subjective judgments that reflect an individual's observation, evaluation, or opinion.
PA Request Process
Prepublication Review
What is a Prepublication Review?
Prepublication review is the process to determine that information proposed for public release contains no protected information and is consistent with established NRO, DOD, and IC policies. Protected information is classified, in the process of a classification determination, or unclassified but protected from public release by statue.
Department of Defense Instruction 5230.29 "Security and Policy Review of DoD Information for Public Release" requires that only FULL and FINAL material proposed for release into the public domain be submitted to NRO for review. Partial information (drafts) cannot be accepted.
REMINDER: Official NRO information appearing in the public domain shall not be considered automatically UNCLASSIFIED or approved for public release. Information remains classified and must be protected until the U.S. Government official(s) with Original Classification Authority (OCA) declassifies the information.
Why Perform Prepublication Review?
All NRO affiliates sign a non-disclosure agreement which binds them to these lifetime obligations to protect national security equities:
- Safeguarding protected information.
- Reporting unauthorized disclosures of protected information.
- An NRO affiliate is any person employed by, detailed to or assigned to NRO, including members of the U.S. Armed Forces; an expert or consultant to NRO; an industrial or commercial contractor, licensee, certificate holder, or grantee of NRO to include all subcontractors; a personal services contractor; or any other category of person who acts for or on behalf of the NRO.
What Should Be Reviewed?
Official NRO information comprises any DoD or IC information that is in the custody and control of NRO and was obtained for or generated on NRO's behalf during the course of employment or other service, whether contractual or not, with NRO. Examples include the following:
- Articles (newspapers, magazines, professional journals, on-line publications)
- Books (non-fiction and fiction, such as spy novels)
- Book Reviews
- Conference Briefings
- Internet Postings
- Letters of Recommendation
- Press Releases (e.g., those released by NRO staff or NRO contractors, but also wedding announcements and obituaries)
- Research Papers
- Resumes, Cover Letters, Biographies, and Curricula Vitae
- Speeches
- Videos
EXEMPTION: Material containing no information about or gained through one's affiliation with NRO or the Intelligence Community in general (e.g., books about gardening, cooking, sports, crafts, etc.) is not subject to prepublication review.
What is the Timeline for the Review Process?
NRO policy allows a minimum of 30 business days from the date of processing to complete a review. The actual review time will vary based on the current workload, the length and subject of the material submitted, as well as the amount of coordination (both internal and with other IC elements) required for the review.
What Do I Need to Submit? Your submission must include:
- Document(s) for review in its FULL and FINAL form. Partial information (drafts) cannot be accepted.
- Contact information (address, telephone number, and email address).
- Intended audience or publication venue -- please include as much detail as possible.
- Written approval for name use from all former and present NRO affiliates named in your material, or present in photos, if applicable.
What to Avoid on Your Resume. With few exceptions, resumes should NOT include the following:
- Classification: Classified information should NOT be included. Your document is to be UNCLASSIFIED to the best of your knowledge.
- Active Agency Equities: Specific satellite systems and/or programs.
- Names: people and/or places.
- Numbers: specific budget information and/or personnel information.
- Office: names below Directorate/Office level.
- Technical details: use general terms.
How Do I Submit My Request?
**If you are planning to publish, be mindful of the requirements of your parent organization. If you are a USG employee of another agency, you must submit your prepublication request to your home Agency; that agency will coordinate with the NRO for review of NRO equities.
If you have questions, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center at 703-745-0600.