Sunday, December 03, 2006

Travellers in America virtually stripped and assigned Risk Score

Not too long ago I saw a parody where people were required to fly nude. Now, people are being asked to "virtually strip" with high powered X-rays to board planes. Allegedly someone can refuse to be X-rayed and be "patted down" instead, but as we know from the Gilmore v. Gonzales case the government likes to keep some laws secret. Therefore people can have varied experiences at airports when they can't prove what the laws really state.

Check out Crooks and Liars to see a sample image of what the government may now be keeping on you along with your "Risk Assessment Score".

Yes, the feds have been keeping/collecting data on people and assigning them Risk Assessment scores but unlike your credit report, you can't see the score, the data used to compile it, or make corrections. However! The Feds will share it with others.

American Travelers to Get Secret 'Risk Assessment' Scores

The Automated Targeting System (ATS) will create and assign "risk assessments" to tens of millions of citizens as they enter and leave the country. Individuals will have no way to access information about their "risk assessment" scores or to correct any false information about them. But once the assessment is made, the government will retain the information for 40 years -- as well as make it available to untold numbers of federal, state, local, and foreign agencies in addition to contractors, grantees, consultants, and others.

For more information see Epic's article "Customs and Border Protection’s Automated System Targets U.S. Citizens".

Is this America or another mad dash down the path to a new police state?

Update: Senator Leahy is on the case.

Leahy: Terror scores 'overdue for oversight'

"Data banks like this are overdue for oversight," said Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vermont, who will take over Judiciary in January. "That is going to change in the new Congress."...

"It is simply incredible that the Bush administration is willing to share this sensitive information with foreign governments and even private employers, while refusing to allow U.S. citizens to see or challenge their own terror scores," Leahy said. This system "highlights the danger of government use of technology to conduct widespread surveillance of our daily lives without proper safeguards for privacy."

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December 03, 2006 at 12:45:00 PM

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