Apr 18, 2023

Get Your Act Together

     Just yesterday I wrote about Social Security's noncompliance with the CARES Act, which requires the agency to accept electronic consents from digitally identity proofed and authenticated record holders to disclose Privacy Act protected records to third parties. The same day Social Security released a new Emergency Message saying that it now has a fully electronic means to give consent for release of records. The problem is that the link in the EM takes one to a webpage saying the agency is committed to protecting privacy and little else. There's supposed to be a tab for "Electronic Request for Consent to Disclose" but there's no such tab. The closest thing is a tab for "Submit A Privacy Act" request but that takes you only to a webpage giving links to the agency's privacy regulations.

    Shouldn't someone have checked to make sure the electronic request form was actually available online before posting the EM?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

You just summed up how employees in the field feel when policies and programs are released to us…incomplete or unfinished.

Welcome to the suck!!!

Anonymous said...

Now you see what we deal with inside everyday!

Anonymous said...

Per EM - "under the “Electronic Request for Consent to Disclose” tab." THERE is NOT A SINGLE TAB ON THE ENTIRE PAGE!

Anonymous said...

Again, welcome to the Field office life…enjoy

Anonymous said...

The effective date is 4/22/2023. So they advise in advance and the barbarians are at the gate.