Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Russ Feingold announced today that he has introduced the Data-Mining Reporting Act of 2003. This legislation would require all federal agencies to report back to Congress on the existence of data-mining programs they are currently developing or using in connection to law enforcement and terrorism efforts. They will be required to explain why they are using data-mining technology and if it works as intended. The Act would also make sure that the federal agencies using data-mining technology have considered and developed policies to protect the privacy and due process rights of individuals, and ensure that only accurate information is collected and used.
"The administration should be required to report to Congress about the impact of the various data-mining programs now underway or being studied, and the impact those programs may have on our privacy and civil liberties," Feingold said. "Congress should look at these programs and determine whether the proposed benefits of this practice come at too high a price to our privacy and personal
liberties. My bill will not prevent data-mining. It will simply ensure that Congress and the public know about the activities of federal agencies."
Data-mining is an untested and controversial intelligence procedure that is capable of maintaining extensive files containing both public and private records on each and every American. The most well-known of these programs is the Terrorism Information Awareness (TIA) program at the Department of Defense.
"Most Americans believe that their private lives should remain private," Feingold said. "Data-mining programs run the risk of intruding into the lives of individuals who have nothing to do with terrorism but who trust that their credit reports, shopping habits and doctor visits would not become a part of a
gigantic computerized search engine, operating without any controls or oversight."
Last month, Feingold successfully attached an amendment to the Department of Homeland Security Appropriations (DHS) bill that directs the General Accounting Office to conduct a review of all data-mining programs relating to law enforcement and terrorism currently under development and in use in DHS within 90 days.
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