What type of information is generally not considered during background checks for security clearance?

The type of information that is generally not considered during background checks for security clearance pertains to personal hobbies and interests. Background checks focus primarily on factors that could impact an individual's trustworthiness and reliability in handling sensitive information.

Personal hobbies and interests, while they may reflect an individual's character to some extent, typically do not have a direct correlation with their ability to perform their job responsibilities securely. Instead, background checks prioritize verifiable and relevant data such as employment history, which verifies a candidate's experience and integrity in the workplace; marital status, which can provide insight into personal stability; and social security status, which verifies a person's identity and ensures they have a legitimate background.

Using personal interests in determining security clearance risk may introduce biases or irrelevant information that do not pertain to an individual’s professional qualifications or their ability to safeguard classified information. Thus, this aspect of an individual's life is generally excluded from consideration during the clearance vetting process.