Electronic Privacy Information Center v. United States Drug Enforcement Administration

MEMORANDUM OPINION

CHRISTOPHER R. COOPER, United States District Judge

Before developing or procuring new information technology that involves the collection of identifiable personal information, federal agencies must assess how that technology will affect citizens’ civil liberties and privacy. Plaintiff Electronic Privacy Information Center (“EPIC”) submitted a two-part Freedom of Information Act request to the Drug Enforcement Administration to obtain all such privacy assessments prepared by the agency. After considerable back-and-forth on search parameters and results, EPIC eventually…