This report of the Privacy Protection Study Commission was prepared in response to a Congressional mandate to study data banks, automatic data processing programs, and information systems of governmental, regional and private organizations to determine standards and procedures in force for the protection of personal information. Recommendations were made to the President and Congress on the extent to which the principles of the Privacy Act of 1974 should be applied to organizations other than Federal Executive agencies, and on legislation necessary to protect the privacy of individuals while meeting legitimate government and society information needs. Chapters cover the consumer-credit relationship; depository relationship; mailing lists; insurance relationship; employment relationship; record keeping in medical-care relationship; investigative-reporting agencies; government access to personal records and private papers; record keeping in the education relationship; citizens as beneficiaries of government assistance; state role in privacy protection; relationship between citizen and government: the Privacy Act of 1974, the citizen as taxpayer, and the citizen as participant in research and statistical studies; and the social security number. Hearings of the Commission are appended. (Author/KP)