About the Office

Mission and Functions

The Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Privacy, Civil Liberties, and Transparency (ATSD(PCLT)) is a Principal Staff Assistant to the Secretary of Defense and serves as the DoD Privacy and Civil Liberties Officer.  The mission of the Office of the ATSD(PCLT) is to enable the DoD mission through privacy and civil liberties protection, transparency, and independent, objective oversight.

The Privacy and Civil Liberties Directorate, (PCLD) is one of five directorates within the Office of the ATSD(PCLT).  Within PCLD is the Privacy and Civil Liberties Division, which is responsible for the DoD Privacy and Civil Liberties Programs.

The mission of the Privacy and Civil Liberties Directorate is to implement the Department of Defense’s Privacy and Civil Liberties information programs through advice, monitoring, official reporting, and training.

Per the statutory requirements under Section 803 of Public Law 110-53, "Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007", the DoD Privacy and Civil Liberties Programs have five operational objectives:

  • Provide policy advice to assist the Secretary and other DoD officials in appropriately considering privacy and civil liberties concerns when proposing, developing, or implementing laws, regulations, policies, procedures, or guidelines related to DoD's missions.
  • Facilitate the Department's periodic assessment of its regulations, policies, procedures, and guidelines to ensure that privacy and civil liberties concerns are adequately considered.
  • Ensure that DoD has adequate procedures to receive, investigate, respond to, and redress complaints from individuals who allege DoD has violated their privacy or civil liberties.
  • Raise the Department's awareness of privacy and civil liberties concerns by developing privacy and civil liberties training modules and facilitating appropriate training throughout DoD.
  • Maintain a transparent relationship with the public to communicate the role that privacy and civil liberties play in DoD's missions.