Fergie's Tech Blog

U.S. Spying Raises New Privacy Fears

Caron Carlson writes on InfoWorld:

With confirmation from the national intelligence chief that a domestic spying program extends beyond tapping e-mails and phone calls into other kinds of surveillance, attention is turning to the administration's data mining and other clandestine technologies that could be used against people in the United States.

National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell told Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., in a July 27 letter that the scope of intelligence activities authorized by an executive order in 2001 is broader than the National Security Agency’s warrantless domestic wiretapping. One thing that is clear: The government's appetite for looking into data held by private companies is only growing. Earlier this summer, the FBI asked Congress for millions of dollars to pay communications companies to maintain massive databases of customer records.

Not just telephone companies and ISPs have been subject to growing data search demands. The government has searched the records of hotels and apartment buildings, among other businesses, under surveillance powers expanded by the USA Patriot Act.

Businesses are largely silent when it comes to discussing such demands, but in 2005, when the Patriot Act was up for review by Congress, the concerns of corporate America were revealed. Manufacturers, financial institutions, real estate companies and others complained that the scope of data searching imposed a growing financial burden. Additionally, they said that confidential files, trade secrets and other proprietary information could be too easily obtained and spread around under the Patriot Act’s expanded police powers.

posted by Fergie @ 8/01/2007 04:18:00 PM