MIT is committed to protecting the personal privacy of members of the MIT community. The mutual trust and freedom of thought and expression essential to a university rest on a confidence that privacy will be respected. While the organizations collecting and having custody of personal information are immediately responsible for its protection, the ultimate protection comes from a community-wide awareness of the importance of personal privacy in our society and the many ways it can be eroded. ​

- Source: Institute Policy 11.1: Protection of Personal Privacy.