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Tim, I'll be glad to teach you how to file a Privacy Act request. It's pretty simple, and it works on all Federal agencies. You get all records they are keeping on you, with some limited exceptions -- and for almost all of those, you get notified of the withholding. If you can identify one or a small number of agencies that might be keeping this "list", we can see if you are on it. And if we find the list, we can probably get the whole thing under the Freedom of Information Act.

I'd be very interested in hearing more on this...

Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act apply only to federal agencies. Privacy Act Requests for personal data must be notarized. If the agency ignores the request, you must appeal under FOIA, since there are no appeal provisions under the Privacy Act. You must specify the "Systems of Records" you want searched. These are listed in the Federal Register and in "Protecting Your Right to Privacy--A Digest of Systems of Records, which you can get from the GPO). I've included the ones you probably would want with the FBI or CIA. You must pre-authorize a dollar amount for search and copying costs. Attached are some sample letters for the FBI, the CIA and general Privacy Act/FOIA. FOIA requests can be more general, I've got info on that as well. I am not a lawyer, and this is not intended as legal advice. The info is out of a wonderful book: Biggs, Don. How to avoid laywers. Includes index. 1. Forms (Law)--United States. I. Title. KF170.B47 1984 347.73'55 84-18636 ISBN 0-8240-7285-5 347.30755 ISBN 0-8240-7284-7 (pbk.) Garland Publishing, Inc. 136 Madison Ave. New York, NY 10016 It is a bit out of date (1985), but I believe the Privacy Act and FOIA is still pretty much the same. It has extensive instructions for what to actually do and what the pitfalls are. ---------- X-Sun-Data-Type: default X-Sun-Data-Description: default X-Sun-Data-Name: privacy-act X-Sun-Charset: us-ascii X-Sun-Content-Lines: 80 DATE ADDRESS This is a request under provisions of Title 5 USC, Sec. 552, the Freedom of Information Act, and Title 5 USC, Sec. 552a, the Privacy Act. Please furnish me with copies of all records on me retrievable by the use of an individual identifier and by the use of any combination of identifiers (e.g., name + date of birth + social security number, etc.) that are contained in the following systems of records: In order to identify myself and to facilitate your search of records systems, I provide the following information: _________________________________________________________ Last Name First Middle _________________________________________________________ Street City State Zip Code _________________________________________________________ Date of Birth Place of Birth Sex Social Security _________________________________________________________ Other information In the event that any part or all of my records are withheld, I request a complete list of all records being withheld and the specific exemption being claimed for the withholding of each. In the event that search and copyinng fees are estimated to exceed $ _________, I request an opportunity to review such records, or to have a duly authorized representative review such records, in order to select those to be copied. If you have an questions regarding this request, please telephone me at ________________ weekdays between _________ and ____________ or write to me at the above address. As provided for by Sec. 552(a)(6)(i) of the Freedom of Information Act, I shall expect to receive a reply within ten (10) business days. Sincerely, __________________ CERTIFICATE OF NOTARY STATE OF ) ) ss: COUNTY OF ) On this _______ day of _________, 19___, before me personally came and appeared _____________________________, known, and known to me, to be the individual described in and who executed the foregoing instrument, and who duly acknowledged to me that he/she executed same for the purpose therein contained. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and official seal. ________________________________ Notary Public My commission expires: _____________________ ---------- X-Sun-Data-Type: default X-Sun-Data-Description: default X-Sun-Data-Name: privacy-act-cia X-Sun-Charset: us-ascii X-Sun-Content-Lines: 83 DATE Director Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover Building 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20535 Attn: FOIA/Privacy Act Branch This is a request under provisions of Title 5 USC, Sec. 552, the Freedom of Information Act, and Title 5 USC, Sec. 552a, the Privacy Act. Please furnish me with copies of all records on me retrievable by the use of an individual identifier and by the use of any combination of identifiers (e.g., name + date of birth + social security number, etc.) that are contained in the following systems of records: National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Central Records System Electronic Surveillance (Eisur) Indices In order to identify myself and to facilitate your search of records systems, I provide the following information: _________________________________________________________ Last Name First Middle _________________________________________________________ Street City State Zip Code _________________________________________________________ Date of Birth Place of Birth Sex Social Security _________________________________________________________ Other information In the event that any part or all of my records are withheld, I request a complete list of all records being withheld and the specific exemption being claimed for the withholding of each. In the event that search and copyinng fees are estimated to exceed $ _________, I request an opportunity to review such records, or to have a duly authorized representative review such records, in order to select those to be copied. If you have an questions regarding this request, please telephone me at ________________ weekdays between _________ and ____________ or write to me at the above address. As provided for by Sec. 552(a)(6)(i) of the Freedom of Information Act, I shall expect to receive a reply within ten (10) business days. Sincerely, __________________ CERTIFICATE OF NOTARY STATE OF ) ) ss: COUNTY OF ) On this _______ day of _________, 19___, before me personally came and appeared _____________________________, known, and known to me, to be the individual described in and who executed the foregoing instrument, and who duly acknowledged to me that he/she executed same for the purpose therein contained. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and official seal. ________________________________ Notary Public My commission expires: _____________________ ---------- X-Sun-Data-Type: default X-Sun-Data-Description: default X-Sun-Data-Name: privacy-act-fbi X-Sun-Charset: us-ascii X-Sun-Content-Lines: 83 DATE Director Federal Bureau of Investigation J. Edgar Hoover Building 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20535 Attn: FOIA/Privacy Act Branch This is a request under provisions of Title 5 USC, Sec. 552, the Freedom of Information Act, and Title 5 USC, Sec. 552a, the Privacy Act. Please furnish me with copies of all records on me retrievable by the use of an individual identifier and by the use of any combination of identifiers (e.g., name + date of birth + social security number, etc.) that are contained in the following systems of records: National Crime Information Center (NCIC) Central Records System Electronic Surveillance (Eisur) Indices In order to identify myself and to facilitate your search of records systems, I provide the following information: _________________________________________________________ Last Name First Middle _________________________________________________________ Street City State Zip Code _________________________________________________________ Date of Birth Place of Birth Sex Social Security _________________________________________________________ Other information In the event that any part or all of my records are withheld, I request a complete list of all records being withheld and the specific exemption being claimed for the withholding of each. In the event that search and copyinng fees are estimated to exceed $ _________, I request an opportunity to review such records, or to have a duly authorized representative review such records, in order to select those to be copied. If you have an questions regarding this request, please telephone me at ________________ weekdays between _________ and ____________ or write to me at the above address. As provided for by Sec. 552(a)(6)(i) of the Freedom of Information Act, I shall expect to receive a reply within ten (10) business days. Sincerely, __________________ CERTIFICATE OF NOTARY STATE OF ) ) ss: COUNTY OF ) On this _______ day of _________, 19___, before me personally came and appeared _____________________________, known, and known to me, to be the individual described in and who executed the foregoing instrument, and who duly acknowledged to me that he/she executed same for the purpose therein contained. IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I hereunto set my hand and official seal. ________________________________ Notary Public My commission expires: _____________________