Do you know your official terrorism score? U.S. Customs agents will with a new database system that uses algorithms to figure out which international travellers warrant closer search.
The system, announced in the Federal Register today, is called the Automated Targeting System, which will use the Treasury’s watchlist (.pdf), data provided to it by the airlines, your I-94 form and other data sources to compute your terrorism risk when you cross the border.
Here’s what I had to say over at 27B/6:
The data — which includes all the information you give to an airline such as medical conditions, frequent flier number, special meal requests, home and email addresses, payment information and your travel agent’s names — will be held for up to 40 years. The data can be shared with any government agency or local law enforcement agency for civil or criminal matters, and can even be shared with foreign governments as data to test other data-mining programs, even ones not related to border security.
What happens if you have a name that’s similar to a suspected terrorist or drug smuggler? Conceivably, you could have your car torn apart every time you drive to Canada or have a blue-gloved agent checking your anus for dope every time you go to Cancun.
But surely, you’ll be able to remedy such mistakes using the Privacy Act, which prevents secret databases? Actually, no.
Full story and links to other bloggers here.
Hat Tip: JQP
On another note: This post concludes my week-long takeover of DefenseTech. Thanks for humoring me over here at Noah’s house. It’s been quite fun and I’m jealous of his great readers, tippers and commenters. He’ll return soon, but feel free to stop by my blog-house occasionally.
– Ryan Singel
Oh God! You mean the border guards are going to use common sense and data you freely give up (to airlines) like your lunch preferences and home address to decide who to search further, and who to leave alone? The humanity! Can the secret prisons and midnight executions be far behind? Aieeeeee…!
Good news! I’m not on the Treasury watch list (yet) …
The government is simply cementing rules they have followed for a long time. It’s only announcement of the procudures that is new, they have been in place and acted upon upon for some time now. Adolf could have taken lessons from these guys …
fornicating weasils?
@Sreven: Best. Troll. EVAR!
Great run, Ryan! Hope we see you here again soon.
It is better to push for change rather than sitting around bitching through a computer screen. If you don’t like it, act on it. Get out there and tell your family, friends and neighbors what you think. Educate them on events they might not be aware of.
Personally I am not thrilled with the airlines profiling everyone as a terroris. The x-ray machines they are now implementing will help them see what you are carrying but cannot tell your intentions.
I am refusing to fly until things change. I will take the train or drive to my destinations. My family agrees with me and is following suit along with my friends.
Spread the word.
Take action.
Actions speak louder than words.
Don’t pay money to be man handled at airports and searched like a prisoner.
God bless America. It’s time we take her back and stand up for what is right.
My daughter recently returned from China, and when she passed through customs in the US, she was shocked by the customs officials manner towards people entering the country. She gave me several accounts of customs officials treating people in a threatening, abusive, belittling manner.
My daughter’s account is that US customs officials were literally never courteous–especially to anyone who appeared to be foreign–but were continually and uniformly abusive. This was in contrast to customs officials in China and Japan, where my daughter said she was always treated courteously.
Personally, I have trouble believing that employees would ever be consistently abusive to people, unless they were under orders to do so. Shouting, threatening, and belittling for eight hours a day requires more energy than being courteous and professional.
This behavior has to be a matter of policy. Why?