ABSTRACT
SSI has implications in many areas, including access to information, the privacy of electronic data and computers, and trade secrets. Keeping certain information private or secure while allowing people to have as much access as possible is a difficult balance. The laws of this country attempt to do just that. (The listing of any website below does not constitute endorsement.)
Several federal laws in the United States apply to access of information. These laws cover who can access information and what information people can legally obtain in certain circumstances. Each of these laws applies to a particular type of information or reason for access. The four important laws are the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), the Privacy Act of 1974, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism (PATRIOT) Act, and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA).
