Operating Rules

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), an agency of the federal government, has created this repository of resources to support organizations’ use of the NIST Privacy Framework. NIST encourages new contributions and feedback on these resources. These operating rules describe and govern NIST’s management of this repository and contributors’ responsibilities. NIST reserves the right to modify this policy at any time.

Criteria for Contributions and Feedback

This is a moderated platform. NIST will only accept contributions that are publicly available. Contributors may submit links or materials for hosting in the repository. Upon submission, materials will be made public and considered publicly available information.

NIST reserves the right to reject, remove, or edit any contribution or feedback, including anything that: 

• states or implies NIST endorsement of any entities, services, or products;  
• is inaccurate;  
• contains abusive or vulgar content, spam, hate speech, personal attacks, or similar content;  
• is clearly "off topic"; 
• makes unsupported accusations;
• includes personally identifiable or business identifiable information according to Department of Commerce Office of Privacy and Open Government guidelines; or, 
• contains .exe or .jar file types.* 

*These file types will not be hosted in the NIST repository; instead, NIST may link to these if hosted elsewhere.

Contributor Responsibilities

NIST also reserves the right to reject or remove contributions from the repository if the contributor fails to carry out any of the following responsibilities:

• following the contribution instructions;
• responding to feedback from other repository users in a timely manner;
• responding to NIST representatives in a timely manner;
• keeping contributions and contributor GitHub username up to date; and
• annual verification of the accuracy and relevancy of the contribution.
  • NIST will create a GitHub issue and tag the contributor’s GitHub username to notify contributors one year after the date their contribution is posted in the repository, and annually thereafter.
  • Contributors must either confirm that their contribution remains accurate and relevant, or provide updates to maintain its accuracy and relevancy (e.g., to reflect recent changes to a source document).

Representations and Warranties & Software Use Agreement 

Any references to commercial entities, products, services, or other nongovernmental organizations or individuals on the site are provided solely for the information of individuals using this page. These references are not intended to reflect the opinion of NIST, the Department of Commerce or the United States, or its officers or employees. Such references are not an official or personal endorsement of any product, person, or service, nor are they intended to imply that the entities, materials, or equipment are necessarily the best available for the purpose. Such references may not be quoted or reproduced for the purpose of stating or implying an endorsement, recommendation, or approval of any product, person, or service.

This platform is provided as a public service. Information, data, and software posted to this platform is “AS IS.” NIST MAKES NO WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT AND DATA ACCURACY. NIST does not warrant or make any representations regarding the use of the software or the results thereof, including but not limited to the correctness, accuracy, reliability or usefulness of the software. You are solely responsible for determining the appropriateness of using and distributing the software and you assume all risks associated with its use, including but not limited to the risks and costs of program errors, compliance with applicable laws, damage to or loss of data, programs or equipment, and the unavailability or interruption of operation. This software is not intended to be used in any situation where a failure could cause risk of injury or damage to property. NIST SHALL NOT BE LIABLE AND YOU HEREBY RELEASE NIST FROM LIABILITY FOR ANY INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, AND THE LIKE), WHETHER ARISING IN TORT, CONTRACT, OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM OR RELATING TO THE SOFTWARE (OR THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS SOFTWARE), EVEN IF NIST HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.