US Senate blocks government data-mining plan

Zardon · Jan 24, 2003, 05:47 PM

THE U.S. SENATE has put the brakes on a much-criticized U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) data-mining project until Congress can review it.

An amendment to a government appropriations bill, offered by Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, cuts spending for the Defense Advanced Research Agency's Total Information Awareness (TIA) project until a detailed report on the project is delivered to Congress. The amendment, which the Senate passed by a voice vote Thursday, requires the U.S. attorney general, secretary of defense, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency to provide a detailed report on their plans within 60 days of the proposal becoming law.

The Wyden amendment would also require the DoD to get approval from Congress before using the program to collect information on U.S. citizens. The department wouldn't need authorization to use TIA in "lawful" overseas military and intelligence operations. To become law, the amendment would have to be approved by a conference committee that negotiates the differences between the House and Senate versions of the appropriations bill. The bill also would have to be signed into law by President George W. Bush.

TIA has raised the concerns of several privacy groups, as well as Democratic senators, 12 of whom cosponsored the Wyden amendment. Last week, Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin introduced a bill that would place a moratorium on data mining in the DoD and the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security until Congress could review the impact on U.S. residents' privacy.

The DoD has released little information on TIA, which opponents fear could dig up private information like medical and credit card records on many U.S. residents. The department has promised it would erect internal safeguards of privacy.

Wyden has called TIA "the most far-reaching government surveillance plan in history."

The Center for Democracy and Technology, a civil liberties advocacy group, praised the Senate for passing the Wyden amendment. "It's great progress toward finding out exactly what the government is doing and making sure Congress has a big role in oversight of a project that has potential to be incredibly intrusive into Americans' lives," said Lara Flint, staff counsel for the group. Grant Gross

Jan 24, 2003, 05:47 PM	#1
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	US Senate blocks government data-mining plan THE U.S. SENATE has put the brakes on a much-criticized U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) data-mining project until Congress can review it. An amendment to a government appropriations bill, offered by Oregon Democratic Sen. Ron Wyden, cuts spending for the Defense Advanced Research Agency's Total Information Awareness (TIA) project until a detailed report on the project is delivered to Congress. The amendment, which the Senate passed by a voice vote Thursday, requires the U.S. attorney general, secretary of defense, and director of the Central Intelligence Agency to provide a detailed report on their plans within 60 days of the proposal becoming law. The Wyden amendment would also require the DoD to get approval from Congress before using the program to collect information on U.S. citizens. The department wouldn't need authorization to use TIA in "lawful" overseas military and intelligence operations. To become law, the amendment would have to be approved by a conference committee that negotiates the differences between the House and Senate versions of the appropriations bill. The bill also would have to be signed into law by President George W. Bush. TIA has raised the concerns of several privacy groups, as well as Democratic senators, 12 of whom cosponsored the Wyden amendment. Last week, Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin introduced a bill that would place a moratorium on data mining in the DoD and the new U.S. Department of Homeland Security until Congress could review the impact on U.S. residents' privacy. The DoD has released little information on TIA, which opponents fear could dig up private information like medical and credit card records on many U.S. residents. The department has promised it would erect internal safeguards of privacy. Wyden has called TIA "the most far-reaching government surveillance plan in history." The Center for Democracy and Technology, a civil liberties advocacy group, praised the Senate for passing the Wyden amendment. "It's great progress toward finding out exactly what the government is doing and making sure Congress has a big role in oversight of a project that has potential to be incredibly intrusive into Americans' lives," said Lara Flint, staff counsel for the group. Grant Gross