Withdrawal of previously declassified U.S. federal records

The '''withdrawal of previously declassified U.S. federal records''' is a process in which agencies can remove records from public access that they believe were incorrectly declassified and made available to the public at the National Archives and Records Administration. The process is often referred to as "reclassification, " but because the records were never properly declassified and remained classified even when made publicly available, they are not ''re''-classified.

== History ==

In 1995, Bill Clinton signed Executive Order 12958 directing agencies to declassify all records that were 25 years or older by the end of 1999, with certain exemptions for information that remained sensitive. Security concerns over restricted data were heightened in 1999 by the Wen Ho Lee case, in which a Taiwanese American nuclear weapons engineer was accused of selling secrets to the People's Republic of China. Additionally, the State Department was accused by the Energy Department of improperly releasing information it was not authorized to declassify.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aid |first=Matthew M. |date=2006 |title=The Secret Reclassification Program |url=http://www.oah.org/pubs/nl/2006may/aid.html |url-status=dead |journal=Organization of American Historians Newsletter |volume=34 |issue=May |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100716004654/http://www.oah.org/pubs/nl/2006may/aid.html |archive-date=July 16, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Johnston |first=David |date=2001-08-14 |title=Justice Dept. Cites Problems In 2 Inquiries At Los Alamos |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/14/us/justice-dept-cites-problems-in-2-inquiries-at-los-alamos.html?smid=url-share |access-date=2025-04-11 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> In 1999, declassification efforts slowed considerably with the passage of the Kyl-Lott Amendment to the 1999 Defense Authorization Act which requires that all declassified records be reviewed for restricted data and formerly restricted data. The Kyl-Lott Amendment led to the removal of previously declassified records from public access for re-review of restricted data.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=David |first=James |date=2013-11-18 |title=Can We Finally See Those Records? An Update on the Automatic/Systematic Declassification Review Program |url=https://meridian.allenpress.com/american-archivist/article/76/2/415/24274/Can-We-Finally-See-Those-Records-An-Update-on-the |journal=The American Archivist |volume=76 |issue=2 |pages=415–437 |doi=10.17723/aarc.76.2.kr5mr37k15m12110 |issn=0360-9081|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

During the George W. Bush administration, the signing of Executive Order 13292 in 2003 eased the process of withdrawals and further delayed automatic declassification review. The process was further codified in 2009 by the signing of Executive Order 13526 and 32 C.F.R. § 2001.13.<ref>[https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-2001/subpart-B/section-2001.13 32 CFR § 2001. 13—Classification prohibitions and limitations]. ''Code of Federal Regulations'' in the ''Federal Register''. Washington, DC: Office of the Federal Register. [https://web.archive.org/web/20250411072640/https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-2001/subpart-B/section-2001.13 Archived] from the original on April 11, 2025.</ref>

The process of removing previously declassified records was itself covert until it was revealed by the National Security Archive in February 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |editor-last=Aid |editor-first=Matthew M. |title=Declassification in Reverse: The U.S. Intelligence Community's Secret Historical Document Reclassification Program |url=https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB179/index.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241202215703/https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB179/index.htm |archive-date=December 2, 2024 |access-date= |website=The National Security Archive |publisher=George Washington University}}</ref> Following outcry by journalists, historians, and the public, an internal audit by the National Archive's Information Security Oversight Office indicated that more than one-third of the records withdrawn since 1999 did not contain sensitive information.<ref>{{Cite report |url=https://www.archives.gov/files/isoo/reports/2006-audit-report.pdf |title=Audit Report: Withdrawal of Records from Public Access at the National Archive and Records Administration for Classified Purposes |date=April 26, 2006 |publisher=Information Security Oversight Office |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060528224820/http://www.archives.gov/isoo/reports/2006-audit-report.pdf |archive-date=May 28, 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Shane |first=Scott |date=2006-02-21 |title=U. S. Reclassifies Many Documents in Secret Review |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/politics/us-reclassifies-many-documents-in-secret-review.html |access-date=2025-04-11 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref><ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/washington/27archives.html?ref=nationalarchivesandrecordsadministration | title=National Archives Says Records Were Wrongly Classified | author=Scott Shane | date=April 27, 2006 | work=The New York Times | archive-date=July 24, 2016 | access-date=February 23, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160724084658/http://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/washington/27archives.html?ref=nationalarchivesandrecordsadministration | url-status=live }}</ref> In response, the National Archives has made annual reports of records withdrawn from public access.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Quarterly Report of Withdrawals of Previously Declassified Records|url=https://www.archives.gov/about/plans-reports/withdrawn|website=National Archives and Records Administration|date=15 August 2016|access-date=23 July 2021|archive-date=23 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210723021115/https://www.archives.gov/about/plans-reports/withdrawn|url-status=live}}</ref>

== Withdrawals of previously-declassified records since 2006 ==

{| class="wikitable" ! Fiscal Year || Agency || NARA facility || Date withdrawn || Number of records withdrawn || Number of textual pages withdrawn |- | 2006<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2006 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2006withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406032158/https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2006withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || NSC/NSA/State || LBJ Library and Museum || May 2006 || 1 || 2 |- | 2006 || CIA || LBJ Library and Museum || May 2006 || 1 || 2 |- | 2006 || CIA || Jimmy Carter Library and Museum || Sep 2006 || 2 || 2 |- | 2007<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2007 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2007withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration}}</ref> || Air Force || College Park || Dec 2006 || 1 || 1 |- | 2007 || Air Force || College Park || Jan 2007 || 1 || 1 |- | 2007 || DOE || College Park || Feb 2007 || 1 || 7 |- | 2008<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2008 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2008withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2009<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2009 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2009withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407222701/https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2009withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || Navy || Nixon Presidential Library at College Park || Feb 17 2009 || 1 || 136 |- | 2009 || Navy || College Park || Jan 15 2009 || 1 || 22 |- | 2009 || Navy || College Park || Jan 15 2009 || 1 || 14 |- | 2010<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2010 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2010withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2011<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2011 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2011withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210405190301/https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2011withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2012<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2012 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2012withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407165814/https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2012withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2013<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2013 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2013withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2014<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2014 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2014withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406032411/https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2014withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || CIA || College Park || Feb 25 2014 || 20 (one in full; 19 redacted) || 81 (65 unique; 16 duplicate) |- | 2015<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2015 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2015withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210405212114/https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2015withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || DOE{{NoteTag|name=n1|Withdrawn per Kyl and Lott Amendments to the 1999 and 2000 Defense Authorization Acts and the Atomic Energy Act, as amended.}} || College Park || Jun 30 2015 || 2 || 27 |- | 2015 || DOE{{NoteTag|name=n1}} || College Park || Jun 30 2015 || 1 || 21 |- | 2015 || DOE{{NoteTag|name=n1}} || College Park || Jun 30 2015 || 3 || 136 |- | 2015 || DOE{{NoteTag|name=n1}} || College Park || Jun 30 2015 || 1 || 226 |- | 2016<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2016 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2016withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210407180049/https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2016withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || DOE || College Park || Oct 1 2015 || 18 || 968 |- | 2017<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2017 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2017withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406032238/https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2017withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2018<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2018 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/2018withdrawals.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210406031449/https://www.archives.gov/files/2018withdrawals.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2019<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2019 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2019.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-04-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210428055224/https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2019.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2020 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2020.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2021-07-23|archive-date=2021-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210502141048/https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2020.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2021<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2021 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/fy-2021-withdrawals-report.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2022-01-17|archive-date=2022-01-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120065630/https://www.archives.gov/files/fy-2021-withdrawals-report.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2022<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2022 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/fy-2022-withdrawals-report.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2024-02-02|archive-date=2024-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240202135514/https://www.archives.gov/files/fy-2022-withdrawals-report.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2023<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2023 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2023.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2024-11-15|archive-date=2024-05-08|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240508110952/https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2023.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2024<ref>{{Cite web|title=FY 2024 Report of Withdrawals|url=https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2024.pdf|website=National Archives and Records Administration|access-date=2025-04-01|archive-date=2025-02-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223035305/https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2024.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> || colspan="5" | None withdrawn |- | 2025<ref>{{Cite web |title=FY 2025 Report of Records Withdrawn |url=https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2025.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250110004508/https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2025.pdf |archive-date=January 10, 2025 |website=National Archives and Records Administration}}</ref> | Colspan="5" |None withdrawn |}

== Notes == {{NoteFoot}}

== References == {{reflist}}

Category:United States government secrecy Category:Classified information in the United States Category:Freedom of Information Act (United States) Category:National Archives and Records Administration