The authority to designate whether information is classified and to determine its classification level lies with specific government officials known as Original Classification Authorities (OCAs). These are senior government officials who have been granted this authority by executive order or government directive, based on their role, expertise, and a demonstrable and continuing need to classify information for national security purposes
. Key points about classification authority:
- The President and Vice President have original classification authority.
- Agency heads and officials designated by the President in the Federal Register also hold this authority.
- Other U.S. government officials may be delegated this authority as necessary
- OCAs must have appropriate security clearance and training in classification procedures.
- They determine if information is official government information eligible for classification.
- They assess the potential damage to national security if the information were disclosed.
- They assign classification levels such as Top Secret, Secret, or Confidential accordingly.
- OCAs are responsible for communicating classification decisions and ensuring proper protection and handling of classified information
Thus, the classification designation process is tightly controlled and limited to authorized senior officials to safeguard sensitive government information effectively
