The process of removing previously declassified records was itself covert until it was revealed by the National Security Archive in February 2006. Following outcry by journalists, historians, and the public, an internal audit by the National Archive’s Information Security Oversight Office indicated that more than one-third of the records withdrawn since 1999 did not contain sensitive information. In response, the National Archives has made annual reports of records withdrawn from public access.
Aid, Matthew M. (2006). "The Secret Reclassification Program". Organization of American Historians Newsletter. 34 (May). Archived from the original on July 16, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100716004654/http://www.oah.org/pubs/nl/2006may/aid.html
Johnston, David (August 14, 2001). "Justice Dept. Cites Problems In 2 Inquiries At Los Alamos". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 11, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/14/us/justice-dept-cites-problems-in-2-inquiries-at-los-alamos.html?smid=url-share
David, James (November 18, 2013). "Can We Finally See Those Records? An Update on the Automatic/Systematic Declassification Review Program". The American Archivist. 76 (2): 415–437. doi:10.17723/aarc.76.2.kr5mr37k15m12110. ISSN 0360-9081. https://meridian.allenpress.com/american-archivist/article/76/2/415/24274/Can-We-Finally-See-Those-Records-An-Update-on-the
32 CFR § 2001. 13—Classification prohibitions and limitations. Code of Federal Regulations in the Federal Register. Washington, DC: Office of the Federal Register. Archived from the original on April 11, 2025. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-32/subtitle-B/chapter-XX/part-2001/subpart-B/section-2001.13
Aid, Matthew M. (ed.). "Declassification in Reverse: The U.S. Intelligence Community's Secret Historical Document Reclassification Program". The National Security Archive. George Washington University. Archived from the original on December 2, 2024. https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/NSAEBB/NSAEBB179/index.htm
Audit Report: Withdrawal of Records from Public Access at the National Archive and Records Administration for Classified Purposes (PDF) (Report). Information Security Oversight Office. April 26, 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 28, 2006. https://www.archives.gov/files/isoo/reports/2006-audit-report.pdf
Shane, Scott (February 21, 2006). "U. S. Reclassifies Many Documents in Secret Review". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 11, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/21/politics/us-reclassifies-many-documents-in-secret-review.html
Scott Shane (April 27, 2006). "National Archives Says Records Were Wrongly Classified". The New York Times. Archived from the original on July 24, 2016. Retrieved February 23, 2017. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/04/27/washington/27archives.html?ref=nationalarchivesandrecordsadministration
"Quarterly Report of Withdrawals of Previously Declassified Records". National Archives and Records Administration. August 15, 2016. Archived from the original on July 23, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/about/plans-reports/withdrawn
"FY 2006 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2006withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2007 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2007withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2008 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2008withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2009 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2009withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2010 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2010withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2011 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2011withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2012 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2012withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2013 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2013withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2014 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2014withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2015 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 5, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2015withdrawals.pdf
Withdrawn per Kyl and Lott Amendments to the 1999 and 2000 Defense Authorization Acts and the Atomic Energy Act, as amended.
Withdrawn per Kyl and Lott Amendments to the 1999 and 2000 Defense Authorization Acts and the Atomic Energy Act, as amended.
Withdrawn per Kyl and Lott Amendments to the 1999 and 2000 Defense Authorization Acts and the Atomic Energy Act, as amended.
Withdrawn per Kyl and Lott Amendments to the 1999 and 2000 Defense Authorization Acts and the Atomic Energy Act, as amended.
"FY 2016 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 7, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2016withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2017 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/about/plans-reports/withdrawn/2017withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2018 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 6, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/2018withdrawals.pdf
"FY 2019 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on April 28, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2019.pdf
"FY 2020 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 2, 2021. Retrieved July 23, 2021. https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2020.pdf
"FY 2021 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2022. https://www.archives.gov/files/fy-2021-withdrawals-report.pdf
"FY 2022 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024. https://www.archives.gov/files/fy-2022-withdrawals-report.pdf
"FY 2023 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 8, 2024. Retrieved November 15, 2024. https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2023.pdf
"FY 2024 Report of Withdrawals" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 23, 2025. Retrieved April 1, 2025. https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2024.pdf
"FY 2025 Report of Records Withdrawn" (PDF). National Archives and Records Administration. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 10, 2025. https://www.archives.gov/files/withdrawals-report-fy-2025.pdf