March 28, 2005

US data: privacy violations?

by brian_turner

The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA), which obtained personal information on around 12 million airline passengers to test a new computerized system, stands accused by a report from by the Homeland Security Department Acting Inspector of misleading Congress.

Not only was the data on this passengers allegedly used in an unauthorised manner, but was also claimed to have been used by TSA contractors for their own projects.

Although the report pulls short of accusing the TSA of lying, respected security commentors such as Bruce Schneier have been far less forgiving of what is a potential flagrant breach of US privacy.

It shows that the TSA lied to the public about its use of personal data again and again and again.

This comes at a time when the Federal Communications Commission has voted to “prohibit businesses from offering broadband or Internet phone service unless they provide police with backdoors for wiretapping access. Formal regulations are expected by early next year.” as reported in VOIP news.

The report also raises issues of how the FBI can try and open up a backdoor on the eavesdropping of VOIP when major companies such as Skype lie well outside of US jurisdiction.

In tandem with the debacle of the TSA data usage, it raises concerns about protecting the privacy of persons whose private data is recorded for monitoring purposes.

The US public are currently persuaded that these steps may be necessary to curb harmful illegal activities. However, if the US public perceives that potentially sensitive surveillance data on themselves is being misued then it could create a serious political backlash on the issues of user privacy, in a country that prides itself on protecting US Citizen rights.

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