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The CIA operates under a strict set of rules that govern everything from personal conduct to operational tactics. Established by the National Security Act in 1947, these rules are designed to ensure officers' loyalty, guard sensitive information, and maintain national security. From oaths of secrecy to social media restrictions, CIA officers are held to standards that prioritize the integrity of their mission. While some regulations are aimed at protecting classified intelligence, others, like the protocols at Langley’s Starbucks, underscore the unusual daily constraints faced by these operatives.
Curious about which rules CIA officers have to follow? Click through now to find out.
CIA officers must maintain absolute loyalty to the United States, a principle central to national security. In 1947, President Truman created the CIA under the National Security Act and reinforced loyalty standards with Executive Order 9835.
The order required federal agencies to establish loyalty boards to identify and remove disloyal personnel. These measures underscore the importance of allegiance among government employees.
Director John Brennan’s Honor the Oath policy intensified post-Snowden and fostered a culture of paranoia. Former analyst Aki Peritz argued this focus unfairly overshadowed the loyalty of many dedicated officers.
When individuals join the CIA they must take several oaths. The first is the Oath of Office which requires those who take it to defend the United States’ Constitution from all foreign and domestic enemies.
Additionally, there is an oath of secrecy that CIA officers sign. It started in 1953, six years after President Truman signed the National Security Act.
The Oath of Secrecy requires CIA officers to swear never to discuss or reveal any classified communications intelligence or the source from which they retrieved it.
While CIA officers aren’t restricted from social media use, there are many rules they must follow.
Rules that officers must follow include being prohibited from using social media at work and not being able to mention or follow the CIA or their posts.
The CIA’s George Bush Center in Langley, Virginia, houses a highly secure Starbucks where baristas undergo extensive background checks, and CIA officers must follow strict ordering protocols.
At this Starbucks, CIA personnel are banned from offering any information that could potentially identify them. Even a randomly selected number might link someone to your real identity.
There isn't a frequent customer card system, as it could land in the wrong hands and be used to identify an officer.
Employees who work for the CIA aren't actually called agents, but in fact, officers. Agents are foreign nationals who offer intelligence on their home country.
Former CIA officer Ryan Hillsberg states that case officers avoid recruiting agents from US corporations, focusing on foreign entities with sensitive data. Strong people skills are essential for officers and agents to build trust and meet discreetly
Officers often use incentives to secure cooperation and aim to end relationships amicably when necessary. This approach reflects the CIA's reliance on established asset management techniques.
Though both organizations are members of the intelligence infrastructure of the US, the FBI is a law-enforcement agency while the CIA is devoted to gathering information.
The CIA cannot use any of its resources to spy on citizens of the United States, thus leaving the FBI to handle domestic intelligence cases.
The CIA collaborates with the FBI on shared goals but must follow formal steps to request FBI assistance, especially for activities requiring the police. This process includes a detailed formal request outlining the purpose, strategy, and reasons for FBI involvement, submitted by the CIA director or designee.
The CIA gift shop is off-limits to covert CIA officers. They aren’t allowed to go into the gift shop at the headquarters in Virginia.
Additionally, of course, CIA officers and agents can't possess any of the items on sale in the gift shop, particularly the branded products.
The shop itself has limited entry, allowing access to employee family members and vetted visitors only.
The CIA, as a non-law enforcement agency, is restricted from spying on American citizens or businesses. Identifying information about US persons obtained by the CIA cannot be shared outside the intelligence community.
If identifying information about Americans is inadvertently acquired, officers must follow a specific process to report any potential federal law violations. This restriction safeguards citizen privacy in CIA operations.
The CIA must immediately report any evidence of federal crimes that involve a US citizen to the Department of Justice. The CIA might accidentally capture evidence but without law-enforcement privileges, they can’t act.
Most CIA operatives work under legal cover, posing as diplomats or embassy staff, while some operate as civilians to access sensitive information. The CIA prioritizes placing spies in deep cover only when a safer position won’t achieve the objective.
The CIA’s 1961 paper 'Principles of Deep Cover' emphasizes that deep cover missions must have clear objectives before deployment. It warns planners to carefully match officers to their undercover roles, ensuring alignment with a specific intelligence goal.
The story has it that there was an officer who spent years undercover without a clear purpose, yielding no valuable information and eventually resigning. This example underscores the importance of goal-oriented deep-cover assignments.
CIA officers are discouraged from marrying foreigners. The CIA’s career website states that covert operatives and their spouses must be citizens of the US.
There are claims though that foreign national spouses of covert CIA officers are approved if they can be naturalized within five years.
Sources: (Grunge) (CIA)
See also: The world's most notorious spies
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The CIA operates under a strict set of rules that govern everything from personal conduct to operational tactics. Established by the National Security Act in 1947, these rules are designed to ensure officers' loyalty, guard sensitive information, and maintain national security. From oaths of secrecy to social media restrictions, CIA officers are held to standards that prioritize the integrity of their mission. While some regulations are aimed at protecting classified intelligence, others, like the protocols at Langley’s Starbucks, underscore the unusual daily constraints faced by these operatives.
Curious about which rules CIA officers have to follow? Click through now to find out.