# 2025-00334: USDA Quietly Exempts Smuggling Database From Privacy Rules

2025-00334, Privacy Act Regulations, is a Federal Register rule from an unnamed agency published 2025-01-10, effective 2025-02-10 (as of 2026-06-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00334
- As of: 2026-06-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2025-00334
- Title: Privacy Act Regulations
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: unknown
- Citation: unknown
- Published: 2025-01-10
- Effective: 2025-02-10
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-11

## In one line

USDA Quietly Exempts Smuggling Database From Privacy Rules

## Summary

The USDA is updating its Privacy Act rules to protect a special record system used to stop smuggling and enforce trade laws. Starting February 10, 2025, this system will be exempt from some usual privacy rights to keep investigations safe and effective. This change mainly affects people involved in law enforcement and trade compliance, with no new costs or fees for the public.

## Abstract

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is amending its Privacy Act regulations to exempt a system of records, Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) National Information Communication Activity System (SNICAS), USDA/APHIS-21, from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. USDA is further amending its Privacy Act regulations to reflect an administrative change to the list of system of records that are exempt from certain provisions of the Privacy Act.

## Effects PRIA read

- SNICAS records exempted from Privacy Act: cost, low. Starting February 10, 2025, USDA exempts the Smuggling Interdiction and Trade Compliance (SITC) National Information Communication Activity System (SNICAS), identified as USDA/APHIS-21, from certain provisions of the Privacy Act. That means records in SNICAS that are investigatory law-enforcement m…
- No new public fees or charges: benefit, low. The final rule does not impose any new fees, costs, or information-collection requirements on the public, and contains no new paperwork under the Paperwork Reduction Act. This means ordinary members of the public will not face new charges or reporting duties because of this rule.
- No significant small-business economic impact: benefit, low. USDA concluded this final rule will not require small businesses to report or keep records and will not have a significant economic impact on a substantial number of small entities. Small businesses should not expect new compliance costs from this rule.

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## Sources
- [2025-00334 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/10/2025-00334/privacy-act-regulations)
- [2025-00334 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-10/pdf/2025-00334.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2025-00271, Standards of Fill for Wine and Distilled Spirits](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00271)
- [Next: 2025-00358, 2025 Civil Monetary Penalty Inflation Adjustments](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00358)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2025-00334 (as of 2026-06-11).