Certified Information Privacy Professional Government and Public Sector Privacy 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which federal law gives US citizens and legal permanent residents the right to access and correct federal agency records about themselves?
- Privacy Act of 1974 (Correct answer)
- Freedom of Information Act
- E-Government Act of 2002
- Federal Records Act
Correct answer: Privacy Act of 1974
The Privacy Act of 1974 grants US citizens and lawful permanent residents the right to access and request correction of federal agency records maintained in systems of records.
Question 2: Under the Privacy Act, federal agencies must publish 'System of Records Notices' (SORNs) in which publication?
- Federal Register (Correct answer)
- Congressional Record
- Government Accountability Office Reports
- White House Press Releases
Correct answer: Federal Register
Agencies must publish SORNs in the Federal Register describing systems that retrieve personal data by individual identifier, their purpose, and the routine uses of such data.
Question 3: What is the primary privacy concern addressed by the Fourth Amendment in the context of government surveillance?
- Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures of private information without a warrant (Correct answer)
- Protection of private communications from private company data collection
- Prohibition on government collection of any personal data
- Right to encrypt personal communications
Correct answer: Protection against unreasonable searches and seizures of private information without a warrant
The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable government searches and seizures, generally requiring a warrant supported by probable cause before accessing private communications or data.
Question 4: Which case established that third parties who voluntarily share data with others (like banks) lose Fourth Amendment protection under the third-party doctrine?
- Smith v. Maryland (1979) and United States v. Miller (1976) (Correct answer)
- Katz v. United States (1967)
- Carpenter v. United States (2018)
- Riley v. California (2014)
Correct answer: Smith v. Maryland (1979) and United States v. Miller (1976)
Smith v. Maryland and United States v. Miller established the third-party doctrine, holding that information voluntarily shared with third parties loses Fourth Amendment protection.
Question 5: In Carpenter v. United States (2018), the Supreme Court held that accessing cell-site location information (CSLI) requires:
- A warrant, limiting the third-party doctrine for comprehensive digital location records (Correct answer)
- Only a subpoena, consistent with the third-party doctrine
- Congressional authorization and no judicial oversight
- Consent from the wireless carrier only
Correct answer: A warrant, limiting the third-party doctrine for comprehensive digital location records
In Carpenter, the Court held that the third-party doctrine does not apply to comprehensive CSLI records and that a warrant is required to access such data.
Question 6: Which federal law protects the privacy of students' education records at schools receiving federal funding?
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (Correct answer)
- COPPA
- Privacy Act of 1974
- HIPAA
Correct answer: Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
FERPA protects the privacy of student education records at schools receiving federal education funding, giving parents and eligible students rights to access and control disclosure.
Certified Information Privacy Professional Government and Public Sector Privacy 1
Which federal law gives US citizens and legal permanent residents the right to access and correct federal agency records about themselves?