About the Office

Mission and Functions

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

The PCLD is responsible for the implementation of the Department of Defense Civil Liberties Program.

Given the Department's statutory requirements under Section 803 of Public Law 110-53, "Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007", the Civil Liberties Program has 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.