Executive Order 13388: Further Strengthening the Sharing of Terrorism Information to Protect Americans
President: George W. Bush
Directed lawful interagency sharing of terrorism information while protecting privacy and legal rights.
Status: In effect. Is Executive Order 13388 still in effect? Yes. Executive Order 13388 remains in effect. See Federal Register record.
What does Executive Order 13388 do?
EO 13388 prioritized access and exchange of terrorism information across agencies and appropriate state, local, tribal and private partners, while requiring consistency with applicable law, information privacy and civil liberties. ODNI’s 2024 intelligence legal reference book includes EO 13388 and the Information Sharing Environment Privacy Guidelines, linking the sharing policy to explicit privacy protections.
Before and after
Before the order
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 established an information-sharing environment; EO 13356 had previously supplied interim sharing standards.
After the order
EO 13388 prioritized access and exchange of terrorism information across agencies and appropriate state, local, tribal and private partners, while requiring consistency with applicable law, information privacy and civil liberties.
ODNI’s 2024 intelligence legal reference book includes EO 13388 and the Information Sharing Environment Privacy Guidelines, linking the sharing policy to explicit privacy protections.
What did the signed order change?
The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 established an information-sharing environment; EO 13356 had previously supplied interim sharing standards. EO 13388 prioritized access and exchange of terrorism information across agencies and appropriate state, local, tribal and private partners, while requiring consistency with applicable law, information privacy and civil liberties.
What happened later?
ODNI — 2024 Intelligence Community Legal Reference Book documents this later development: ODNI’s 2024 intelligence legal reference book includes EO 13388 and the Information Sharing Environment Privacy Guidelines, linking the sharing policy to explicit privacy protections.
What does that evidence establish?
The order relies on section 1016 of the 2004 Act, addresses agency duties and does not override statutes governing disclosure or civil liberties. The later ODNI compilation shows the authority and privacy framework, without showing a specific exchange or outcome. Priority to share did not grant unrestricted access to personal information. The signed order controls its original terms.
Who had to do what
| Agency / office | Action | Timing / position |
|---|---|---|
| Federal agencies and information-sharing authorities | Shared covered terrorism information subject to law and privacy safeguards | Under the signed order and governing law |
What happened next
EO 13388 signed.
Legal and source detail
How it works legally
The order relies on section 1016 of the 2004 Act, addresses agency duties and does not override statutes governing disclosure or civil liberties. The later ODNI compilation shows the authority and privacy framework, without showing a specific exchange or outcome.
Sources by type
If a source is unavailable, first check the cited publisher or another official repository. The cited publisher remains the authority.
Primary and official sources
Orders, laws, court records and official implementation material.
- GovInfo — official executive-order record (opens in a new tab) Official record
How we checked this
Last checked against the sources above on September 26, 2026. How we research →