CIA publishes guidelines for handling Americans’ info
WASHINGTON — Two days before Donald Trump takes office, the CIA on Wednesday published for the first time its guidelines for how it collects, stores, searches and shares information about Americans. New rules put limits on those who can search it and require they give a reason.
While some of the policies haven’t been updated since 1982, others have been changed, reflecting radical developments in technology over the past three decades and the CIA’s effort to be more transparent and protect Americans’ privacy and civil liberties, the spy agency said. The changes will go into effect on March 18.
The revised, unclassified guidelines have been in the works for years, CIA General Counsel Caroline Krass said. But the timing of the announcement, shortly before Trump’s inauguration, suggests officials prioritized their completion before President Barack Obama left office. The incoming Trump administration could undo the changes, though doing so would likely be a complicated and time-consuming process.
“This is a significant step for us,” Krass told reporters.