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FBI Can't Find Its Drone Privacy Reports

Posted by timothy on from the loaned-them-to-the-IRS dept.

v3rgEz (125380) writes "Programs run by the federal government are typically required to undergo a Privacy Impact Assessment if there's a chance they'll veer into monitoring the activities of citizens: The assessments help balance the risks and benefits of the program, and help guide any oversight to prevent abuse. But despite being legally mandated, the FBI and Justice Department have had a tough time producing the assessments done in conjunction with the Bureau's domestic surveillance drone program, first telling privacy advocates to file a FOIA request, and then rejecting that request, before ultimately claiming they now simply can't find the documents altogether."

3 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. There, you have your answer! by leehwtsohg · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The original question was if they did any privacy assessment report of the impact of using drones. I think by saying that they can't find any such report, the answer seems pretty obvious....

  2. Next to the stingray reports by wiredlogic · · Score: 4, Interesting

    It's filed right next to the stingray privacy reports where they justify pissing all over the FCC's rules against operating an unlicensed transmitter.

    --
    I am becoming gerund, destroyer of verbs.
  3. Re:Stingray? - Saw one UP CLOSE! by Obfuscant · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The realtor told us that the property the cell tower is on is owned by a .

    Owned by an "invisible agency"?

    There are big black cables going right from the cell tower into the brick building and back out again. It's a DIRECT tap off the cell phone tower!

    Makes for a great conspiracy theory, but all fluff and no bite. It is very common for towers to have several co-located radio systems. Every location I know of in this area has several agencies all on the same tower. One coastal site I work at has Verizon, Coast Guard, and state radios.

    You should realize that the 700/800MHz antennas for public service and feds look identical to the same band antennas that cell phone carriers use, and even different bands can be hard to differentiate from a distance. Especially when the federal systems are trunking and need the same kind of directionality that cell systems do. A "tap off the cell phone tower" is meaningless scare-mongering. You don't tap the tower.