Comment from Anonymous
Anonymous AnonymousOpposeIndividual
Summary: An individual commenter opposes the proposed addition of Routine Use 18 to the Bureau's Privacy Act System of Records. They argue that the proposal lacks sufficient guardrails to protect employee privacy and that information of public interest should instead be requested through the FOIA process.
This comment relates to CFPB-2026-0016. I am deeply concerned about the proposed modification of the Bureau's Privacy Act System of Records, particularly, regarding the addition of the new routine use to permit the disclosure of current and former employee personnel records (including those of their dependents) to the media and the public (Routine Use 18). There is no conceivable basis for it and the Bureau should seriously consider against finalizing it. If there is "a legitimate public interest in disclosure of such information", news media and or other interested parties can simply obtain the information through the FOIA process, which appropriately balances the need for disclosure against prevention of unwarranted invasion of personal privacy. As currently framed, Routine Use 18 has no guardrails to protect the individual rights of current and former employees. The Bureau has not explained, and it is really bothersome as to why it needs the authority to proactively disclose protected employee information to the news media.