Total "Terrorism" Information Awareness
(TIA)
NY Times reported that a tracking system called Total
Information Awareness (TIA) was being built by the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency (DARPA), to give law enforcement access to information leading
to possible terrorists.
This would allow them to view private data without suspicion
of wrongdoing or a warrant.
TIA planned on using information signatures, computer
algorithms and human analysis to assist the government in tracking terrorist.
A database would be created to act as a repository of
information for a large number of people and their search information.
Financial records, medical records, communication records,
and travel records and intelligence data would be contained in this database
(along with other information).
Data mining was key to navigate this large amount of
information.
A biometric technology was created to enable the
identification and tracking of individuals. This would allow individuals to be
identified from a distance and would greatly help in the TIA process.
Funding to the program was cut in 2003 and the office that
created it was closed. However, similar projects from Intelligence Community
Advanced Research and Development Activity (ARDA) and a joint project from the
FBI and the Transportation Security Administration.
Chapter 10 from No Place to Hide
by Robert O'Harrow, Jr.
“No Place to Hide” details how the government is able to
track information about people through almost everything they do. Such as:
Metro Cards
Cameras at varying locations
Credit Cards
Clocking into work
GPS devices
Phone
Television (tiVo)
E-Z Pass
E-Z Pass
Toll Booths
Car Keys
800 phone calls that track your conversation
Hotel Keys
Logins to websites track everything- like newspapers use
your login to track what you read for example
Police are using it to revolutionize the way they think, as
in the case with missing police officer Johnathan Luna, who was found dead in a
PA creek by tracking his toll credits.
Attorneys use it as well to track clients
RFID is what makes everything work.
There is no end to the kinds of product monitoring or
personal surveillance by companies, law enforcement, or private investigators.
Some schools and jails are even using this technology.
Schools are using this for automatic attendance.
Requiring students to wear ID’s with the tag inside it will
identify what students are there and even bring up a picture of them- just by
entering the building.
SafeTzone is a product being used by amusement parks to help
parents track their children, pay for things without using wallets and decreasing
waiting time for rides.
This is also changing customer relations, allowing business
to “know” customers as soon as they arrive.
MyTurn: Protecting privacy rights in libraries
By Judah Hamer • September 24, 2008
Vermont passed a new law that made many feel as though their
information seeking privacy would not be protected by libraries.
Judah Hamer released an article trying to clarify the new
law, stating: “the new law makes it clear that patron records are confidential
and can be shared with a third party only in response to a judicial order or
warrant.”
Having taking the opinions of parents into consideration the
legislators also decided to release information to custodial parents of
children under 16.
Information concerning patrons over this age will not be
released, due to the importance of the information they may need to seek (child
abuse, health related questions, alcoholic parents, etc).
The letter written by Eileen Haupt (which this article is
written in response to), suggested that the library in stood in the way of the
investigation of the Brooke Bennett case by not immediately complying with
police demands to release library computers for investigation.
This article states that the librarian informed police of
the legally binding policy that required officers to have a court order, the
police officer requested back ups and continued to argue with the librarian.
After the court order was eventually obtained, computers
were released.
In response to this event, the author states: “the new law provides greater assurance to
patrons across Vermont that their reading habits and research interests are
private matters that they alone can decide to share with others”
Muddiest Point: What happens if an issue regarding a library's social site arises and there is no policy? Who constructs the policy?
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