Declassified foreign government information may be considered for original classification by an OCA.

Declassified foreign government information may be considered for original classification by an OCA.

• A. True
• B. False
• C. Only if it has been declassified by a foreign government
• D. Always available for reclassification

Answer: (B)

Original classification is the process of designating information as classified for the first time because it presents ongoing national security value. If foreign government information has already been declassified, its sensitive content has been publicly released, so there isn’t a valid basis to label it as “originally classified” again by a U.S. Original Classification Authority. Reclassification would require new facts or a fresh need to protect material, not simply reapplying the original decision to information that has already been declassified. So the statement is not correct.

Original classification is the process of designating information as classified for the first time because it presents ongoing national security value. If foreign government information has already been declassified, its sensitive content has been publicly released, so there isn’t a valid basis to label it as “originally classified” again by a U.S. Original Classification Authority. Reclassification would require new facts or a fresh need to protect material, not simply reapplying the original decision to information that has already been declassified. So the statement is not correct.