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Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) has introduced S. 1484, the Citizens' Protection in Federal Databases Act. The bill would require the Departments of Justice, Defense, Homeland Security, Treasury, Central Intelligence Agency, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to submit a report to Congress on use of private-sector databases, or lose funding for purchasing personal information from companies such as ChoicePoint and Lexis-Nexis.
BILL
That web site must be really busy today, can't get to it very fast. Is that saying what I think? That someone is actually trying to protect our privacy from prying government eyes?
I like it so far...
What I get out of it:
The government is accessing all kinds of data with no accountability
This bill will require a report be given about what data is accessed by LE, etc.
This bill restates to government agencies that access to personal data shall not be made without due process and proof that individuals are up to no good (terrorists).
That investigative funding shall be WITHHELD, until reports are made to congress stipulating what data is accessed and why.
Initial response: I like it - but how is congress going to handle all that info. This one is on my watch list...
;)
Well, it's a start in the right direction, at the very least... Now, if only something could be done about that damn PATRIOT Act, we'd be set. I swear, if we're not careful, Orwell's "1984" could be right around the corner for us. Even worse, we, as citizens, might not realize it until it's way too late.
what it says is they have to state what they do with the data not whos data they have.
Ahh.. where catching terrorists with it. Yeah that's it! Were catching terrorists.
So if they say thier making profiles on every citizen which they'll query for patterns that could point them to terrorist activity....you dont think they'll get their money? Congress will be pacified that they must answer to them, Meanwhile members of green peace and certain conservative political groups (thats rught Conservative) will still find themselves on "no fly lists", unable to leave the country. Much like the jews in germany during WWII,,,and the beat goes on.
The patriot act was no more than a big push for an agenda that was alredy being pursued. Never mind the data miners what about the info they get/got themselves from echelon, carnivore and other covert operations aimed at ever citizen of the united states and the world
alphabetarian (BTW cool handle) this dosen't sound like its around the corner:
How often, or on what system, the Thought Police plugged in on any individual wire was guesswork. It was even conceivable that they watched everybody all the time. But at any rate they could plug in your wire whenever they wanted to. You had to live - did live, from habit that became instinct - in the assumption that every sound you made was overheard, and except in darkness, every movement scrutinized.
True there is no provision to provide "who" they are targeting, just the data they are collecting from private companies and sources. But it's a start, and I am shocked that this bill was introduced in the current state of government paranoia from attacks within the country. I think if they (terrorists) hadn't hit right at the heart of military control, it wouldn't be so bad. The Patriot Act absolutely sucks and hopefully the mining of data will take the same path as wire taping and get some kind of controls in place to restrict government access.
I was member of Green Peace a LONG time ago until they repeatedly pissed me off. I was living in a remote area of the world and protecting the wild environment sparked interest in my young heart. But I laughed my ass off when they sent me a request, years after terminating my interest, to give them money to fund a new ship since the old one got blasted out of the water. LOL.
But your comment strikes a point, my affiliation with them at one time, almost cost me a highly classified clearance. I had to go before a tribunal who grilled me with questions. I won, because at the time Green Peace was using their constitutional right and mandate to induce changes, much like Dr. King and I correlated many examples within history. They are a little more radical now but still within constitutional bounds. I would not be surprised if key members who are extremely active are definitely watched. Especially now…