| The Senate Judiciary Committee met Wednesday to | | | | assessment that they don't know, that's secret, that |
| hear whether government databases that store | | | | can be shared all over the government for any other |
| information about U.S. citizens violate the privacy | | | | purpose and if they are prejudiced by that, they |
| rights of U.S. citizens. VOA's Sean Maroney reports | | | | don't know." |
| from Washington. | | | | Harris also said that a person mistakenly identified as |
| The incoming chairman of the Senate Judiciary | | | | a possible terrorist has little or no opportunity to |
| Committee, Patrick Leahy of Vermont, made clear | | | | correct the damage. |
| his priorities by devoting the committee's first hearing | | | | The CATO Institute's Information policy director, Jim |
| of the year to an examination of the data-mining | | | | Harper, added that it is hard to track which patterns |
| computer programs used by the government. | | | | make a terrorist. |
| U.S. authorities say the programs, by enabling them | | | | "The result will be that you will get a lot of false |
| to search through large computer banks of | | | | positives -- that is you'll find that many people who |
| information, help them to identify terrorists or | | | | are not terrorists are suspects. You'll waste a lot of |
| criminals. | | | | resources going after these people. You'll follow a lot |
| But Leahy expressed concern that by using the | | | | of dead ends. And very importantly, you'll threaten |
| programs the Bush administration has ignored privacy | | | | the privacy and civil liberties of innocent law abiding |
| laws, sidestepped Congress and violated citizens' right | | | | Americans." |
| to privacy. | | | | In defense of data-mining, the Heritage Foundation's |
| "All I want is the administration to follow the law," he | | | | James Carafano said that these programs are only |
| said. "They want us to follow the law. They ought to | | | | automating what police officers routinely do in the |
| follow the law... We all want to stop terrorists, but | | | | field. |
| we don't want to make our own government treat | | | | He said, "When a cop goes on the street, he's |
| us -- all of us -- like we are terrorists." | | | | collecting information every second. He's looking for |
| One example of the data gathered is the list that | | | | behavior that's out of place." |
| screens airline passengers. Custom officials can share | | | | "He pulls a car over and everything else. And that |
| assessments of people traveling abroad with | | | | leads to a whole thing. So there, he's not starting |
| domestic and foreign governments as well as some | | | | with a suspect, yet he's continually gathering freely |
| private contractors. | | | | accessible information," he added. |
| Once listed as a possible terrorist, a person can face | | | | During the hearing, Senator Leahy announced the |
| penalties ranging from the loss of a job to | | | | reintroduction of his Federal Agency Data-Mining |
| deportation or arrest. | | | | Reporting Act, which would require federal agencies |
| The Center for Democracy and Technology's Leslie | | | | using data-mining programs to report annually to |
| Harris told the committee that the designations often | | | | Congress on their use and explain how privacy would |
| are kept secret, which means that the persons | | | | be protected. |
| named as possible terrorist threats are not able to | | | | Leahy had previously introduced the act in 2005, but |
| contest the designation. | | | | it died in committee. |
| He said, "People are walking around with a risk | | | | |