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Senate Wants Database Dragnet

Posted by samzenpus on from the big-brother dept.

Doc Ruby writes "Wired reports that the "Senate could pass a bill as early as Wednesday evening that would let government counter-terrorist investigators instantly query a massive system of interconnected commercial and government databases that hold billions of records on Americans".

7 of 249 comments (clear)

  1. Riiight by Donoho · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Many have trouble accurately querying databases within the same company. If these government agencies have the brain power (internal or contracted) to pull this off then they can have my information.

    --
    Michalangelo Progr
    1. Re:Riiight by MonkeyGone2Heaven · · Score: 5, Insightful


      Actually, having the government inacurately querying these databases is what scares me. The last thing I want is to be scooped up in some anti-terrorist sweep because some doufus doesn't know his joins.

      Of course, they'll be just as certain I'm a terrorist as they were that Saddam Hussien had vast stocks of WMD when we invaded Iraq.

  2. What about foreigners ? by Jesrad · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm pretty certain there are millions of records of personnal information on us foreigners in those many many databases, too. Nice to see how highly we're regarded by the current US Administration :( Especially when we have no say in how these informations can be (mis)handled.

    --
    Maybe we deserve this world ?
  3. Riiiiiight... by Kozar_The_Malignant · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The IRS lacks staff and adequate software and hardware. The BIA has totally hosed the accounting of the trust fund money. The Justice Department says that complying with a large FOIA data request would crash their servers. The current, tiny No Fly list contained the name of a prominent Senator. I should worry about this, why?

    --
    Some mornings it's hardly worth chewing through the restraints to get out of bed.
  4. domestic terrorists? by dresseduptoday · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Ah, so it has struck US politicians that threats to the nation may (at least in theory) come from people who are not forreign nationals. Not that I envy those of you who live there, regardless of nationality. Freedom used to be cherished, and covernment control and distrust of own citisens in the former eastern block used to be scorned. Bring that point of view back! Your fears are scores for your enemies. _ /Bjorn.

  5. Just who is the enemy? by Whammy666 · · Score: 5, Insightful
    Why are the majority of these new anti-terrorism laws targeting American citizens? Al-Qaeda is largely based in foreign countries and consists of foreign nationals. Yet the focus of Asscrofts et. al. anti-terror efforts has been to find new and creative ways to spy on US citizens.

    What's wrong with this picture?

    --
    When all else fails, run.
    1. Re:Just who is the enemy? by RealAlaskan · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Why are the majority of these new anti-terrorism laws targeting American citizens?

      It's all about control, in two senses: they're desparate to control everyone, and they can only tighten the screws on those of us they already have some control over. So, today they turn the U.S. into a police state, tomorrow the world.

      --
      See what I've been reading.