SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:

Freedom of Information Act Requests and Appeals–FTC (FTC–V–1).

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:

Unclassified.

SYSTEM LOCATION:

Federal Trade Commission, 600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580. For 

other locations where records may be maintained or accessed, see Appendix III (Locations of 

FTC Buildings and Regional Offices), available on the FTC’s website at 

https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/foia/foiareading-rooms/privacy-act-systems and at 80 FR 9460, 

9465 (Feb. 23, 2015).

SYSTEM MANAGER(S):

FOIA/PA Supervisor, Office of General Counsel, Federal Trade Commission, 600 

Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20580, email: SORNs@ftc.gov.

AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:

Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. 41 et seq.; Freedom of Information Act, 5 

U.S.C. 552.

PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM: 

To consider requests and appeals for access to records under the Freedom of Information 

Act; to determine the status of requested records; to respond to the requests and appeals; to make 

copies of FOIA requests and frequently requested records available publicly, under the FTC’s 

Rules of Practice and FOIA; to maintain records, documenting the consideration and disposition 

of the requests for reporting, analysis, and recordkeeping purposes.

CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:

Individuals filing requests for access to information under the Freedom of Information 

Act (FOIA); individuals named in the FOIA request; FTC staff assigned to help process, 

consider, and respond to such requests, including any appeals.

CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:

Communications (e.g., letters, emails) to and from the requesting party; agency 

documents generated or collected during processing and consideration of the request, including 

scanned copies of materials responsive to the FOIA request.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:

Individual about whom the record is maintained and agency staff assigned to help 

process, review, or respond to the access request, including any appeal.

ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING 

CATEGORIES OF USERS AND THE PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:

(1) Request and appeal letters, and agency letters responding thereto, are placed on the 

FTC’s public record and available to the public for routine inspection and copying. See FTC–I–6

(Public Records–FTC).

(2) As required by the FOIA, records that have been ‘‘frequently requested’’ and 

disclosed under the FOIA within the meaning of that Act, as determined by the FTC, are made 

available to the public for routine inspection and copying. See FTC–I–6 (Public Records– FTC).

(3) Disclosure to the National Archives and Records Administration, Office of 

Government Information Services (OGIS), to the extent necessary to fulfill its responsibilities in 

5 U.S.C. 552(h), to review administrative agency policies, procedures, and compliance with the 

Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and to facilitate OGIS’s offering of mediation services to 

resolve disputes between persons making FOIA requests and administrative agencies.1

For other ways that the Privacy Act permits the FTC to use or disclose system records 

outside the agency, see Appendix I (Authorized Disclosures and Routine Uses Applicable to All 

FTC Privacy Act Systems of Records), available on the FTC’s website at 

https://www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/foia/foiareading-rooms/privacy-act-systems and at 73 FR 33592, 

36333–36334 (June 12, 2008).

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:

Records are maintained electronically using a commercial software application run on the 

agency’s internal servers. Temporary paper files are destroyed once the request is complete.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:

Indexed by name of requesting party and subject matter of request. Records can also be 

searched by name, address, phone number, fax number, and email of the requesting party, 

subject matter of the request, requestor organization, FOIA number, and staff member

assigned to the request.

POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:

Records are retained and disposed of in accordance with General Records

Schedule 4.2, issued by the National Archives and Records Administration.

 

1 This third routine use was published in final form at 83 FR 18058 (Apr. 25, 2018) and is effective May 25, 2018. 
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:

Requests, appeals, and responses available to the public, as described above. Access to 

nonpublic system records is restricted to FTC personnel or contractors whose responsibilities 

require access. Nonpublic paper records are temporary, maintained in lockable file cabinets or 

offices, and destroyed once the request is complete. Access to electronic records is controlled by 

‘‘user ID’’ and password combination and other electronic access or network controls (e.g., 

firewalls). FTC buildings are guarded and monitored by security personnel, cameras, ID checks, 

and other physical security measures.

RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:

See § 4.13 of the FTC’s Rules of Practice, 16 CFR 4.13. For additional guidance, see also 

Appendix II (How To Make A Privacy Act Request), available on the FTC’s website at https://

www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/foia/foia-readingrooms/privacy-act-systems and at 73 FR 33592, 33634 

(June 12, 2008).

CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:

See § 4.13 of the FTC’s Rules of Practice, 16 CFR 4.13. For additional guidance, see also 

Appendix II (How To Make A Privacy Act Request), available on the FTC’s website at https://

www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/foia/foia-readingrooms/privacy-act-systems and at 73 FR 33592, 33634 

(June 12, 2008).

NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:

See § 4.13 of the FTC’s Rules of Practice, 16 CFR 4.13. For additional guidance, see also 

Appendix II (How To Make A Privacy Act Request), available on the FTC’s website at https://

www.ftc.gov/about-ftc/foia/foia-readingrooms/privacy-act-systems and at 73 FR 33592, 33634 

(June 12, 2008).

EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:

Records contained in this system that have been placed on the FTC public record are 

available upon request, as discussed above. However, pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(k)(2), records in 

this system, which reflect records that are contained in other systems of records that are 

designated as exempt, are exempt from the requirements of subsections (c)(3), (d), (e)(1), 

(e)(4)(G), (H), (I), and (f) of 5 U.S.C. 552a. See § 4.13(m) of the FTC Rules of Practice,

16 CFR 4.13(m).

HISTORY:

82 FR 27483–27485 (June 15, 2017).

82 FR 10012–10014 (February 9, 2017).

73 FR 33592–33634 (June 12, 2008).