Exemption from the act's access and correction provisions is the most important. An individual has no right under the Privacy Act to ask for a copy of or to seek correction of a record subject to the general exemptions. In practice, these exemptions are not as expansive as they sound. Most agencies that have exempt records will accept and process Privacy Act requests. Agencies will often disclose any information that does not require protection.
Agencies also tend to follow a similar policy for requests for correction.
Individuals interested in obtaining records from the Central Intelligence Agency or from law enforcement agencies should not be discouraged from making requests for access. This is a primary reason individuals should cite both the Privacy Act and the FOIA when requesting records.