Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO)

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Declassification

1. What are the requirements for the use of the 50X and 75X exemptions?

  • E.O. 13526, Section 3.3(h)(2) allows for agencies to seek the exemption of specific information from automatic declassification at 50 years in "extraordinary cases." Records containing information exempted from declassification under this provision will be automatically declassified on December 31 of the year 75 years from the date of origin of those records, unless an agency seeks the exemption of specific information from automatic declassification at 75 years.
  • Section 3.3(h)(3) allows for agencies to seek the exemption of specific information from automatic declassification at 75 years. Proposals to seek an exemption at 50 or 75 years, shall be submitted to the Director of ISOO, serving as Executive Secretary of the ISCAP, 1 year before the information is subject to automatic declassification.

The ISCAP will post on the website those agencies who have been granted exemptions from Automatic Declassification at 25, 50, and 75 Years. The agencies approved are only authorized to use the exemptions listed. 

  • Exemptions require ISCAP approval prior to use.
  • Require a date or event. (50X1-HUM and 50X2-WMD are the only exemptions that can be used without a date)
  • Must be included in agency declassification guide.

Example of requesting a 75X1 or 75X6 exemption:

  • Description of Information: The identity of senior officials of foreign governments who provided intelligence information to the U.S. about those governments, with the expectation of confidentiality, between 1935 and 1942.
  • Explanation of Exemption: The declassification the identity of this confidential human source would prevent the U.S. Intelligence Community from collecting intelligence from confidential human sources, and would cause serious harm to the diplomatic relations of the U.S. Government if relationship of those officials to the U.S. Government at that time is not known by the current governments of those nations.
  • Date or Event for Declassification: Declassify no later than 90 years after the date of the record containing the exempted information.

 

2. What happens to the documents marked 50X-HUM and WMD after 50 years?

  • 50X HUM and WMD are already exempted at 50 years and subject to automatic declassification at 75 years. They may be exempted beyond 75 years if the exemption is approved by the ISCAP.

 

3. What marking goes on the "declassify on" line for derivative documents, if the source document is marked 25X1-Human? 

  •  "50X1-HUM"

 

4. If an agency has a current exemption, does it need to be reapproved? 

  • All current 10 and 25 year exemptions should be updated with the ISCAP.

 

5. What happens if a document does not have any declassification instructions?

  • Try to go back to the document originator and obtain the declassification information. If the information can not be traced, review for declassification at 25 years from creation of the document.
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