What's in a File

The U.S. government has more than 180 million passport files, and they were accessed "tens of millions of times for legitimate purposes" last year, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said yesterday. The following lists are not all-inclusive:

WHAT IS IN A PASSPORT FILE?

- Applications or reapplications for a passport.

- Requests for extra visa pages.

- Requests to change a name.

- Reports of lost or stolen passports.

PERSONAL DATA IN DOCUMENTS

- Applicant's date and place of birth.

- Social Security number.

- Mailing address.

- Physical description.

- Parents' names and birthplaces.