AP: Feds collect data on air travelers

Bakersfield Californian ^ | 6/20/05 | Leslie Miller - AP

[NormsRevenge]

WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal agency collected extensive personal information about airline passengers although Congress told it not to and it said it wouldn't, according to documents obtained Monday by The Associated Press.

A Transportation Security Administration contractor used three data brokers to collect detailed information about U.S. citizens who flew on commercial airlines in June 2004 in order to test a terrorist screening program called Secure Flight, according to documents that will be published in the Federal Register this week.

The TSA had ordered the airlines to turn over data on those passengers, called passenger name records, in November.

The contractor, EagleForce Associates, then combined the passenger name records with commercial data from three contractors that included first, last and middle names, home address and phone number, birthdate, name suffix, second surname, spouse first name, gender, second address, third address, ZIP code and latitude and longitude of address.

EagleForce then produced CD-ROMS containing the information "and provided those CD-ROMS to TSA for use in watch list match testing," the documents said.

According to previous official notices, TSA had said it would not store commercial data about airline passengers.

The Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits the government from keeping a secret database.

"I'm just floored," said Tim Sparapani, a privacy lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. "This is like creating an FBI file, not just some simple check, and then they're storing the data."

TSA spokesman Mark Hatfield said the program was being developed with a commitment to privacy, and that it was routine to change the official definition of a system of records during a test phase.

[LurkedLongEnough]

The horror...the horror...

[NormsRevenge]

coffee, 4 lumps, cream, Orange juice, ham&cheese crooisant,

for starters..

filet mignon,champagne,cherry jubilee on the later flights :)

[adam_az]

""I'm just floored," said Tim Sparapani, a privacy lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union. "This is like creating an FBI file, not just some simple check, and then they're storing the data.""


Does that mean The Hillary already has a copy?

[hotshu]

Where is Craig Livinstone these days?

[hotshu]

LivinGstone. Sheesh!

[Publius6961]

Pure BS about nothing.
For testing purposes, they could have just used random names from many phone books. But I can see how using real passenger lists can make testing a lot easier, more realistic and more effective. Personally I would use just arabic names. I have no problem with profiling.

Do I care if my name was used? Not in the slightest.

I become more and more convinced that the losers who scream the loudest do have something to hide!

[NJ_gent]

"A federal agency collected extensive personal information about airline passengers although Congress told it not to and it said it wouldn't"
"According to previous official notices, TSA had said it would not store commercial data about airline passengers."
"The Privacy Act of 1974 prohibits the government from keeping a secret database."

Tell me this doesn't just scream 'Orwell'? Secret government databases with information about American citizens (essentially dossiers) collected despite repeated assurances it wasn't happening? Rogue government agencies accountable to no one, lying to their oversight?

2+2=5?

[freepatriot32]

A federal agency collected extensive personal information about airline passengers although Congress told it not to and it said it wouldn't,

So we can expect to see some arrests and imprisonments shortly right?Libertarian ping.To be added or removed from my ping list freepmail me or post a message here

[mysterio]

Do I care if my name was used? Not in the slightest.

I become more and more convinced that the losers who scream the loudest do have something to hide!

Very good, comrade.

Four legs good, two legs better!

[B4Ranch]

>>first, last and middle names, home address and phone number, birthdate ....<<

If I go through your trash and get your SSI number, I have all I would need for theft identity. Your DoB is the most difficult data to obtain because it is not normally in the trash. Your SSI number frequently is.

[B4Ranch]

No, perhaps some scolding.

[VeniVidiVici]

Took a flight up north the beginning of June. Flew Southwest.

They wouldn't let me print out my boarding pass online. Then they wouldn't let me check my luggage at the curb.

I go inside, stand in line to finally be told that I was on the TSA Watch List. Well whaddya know.

Of course, she didn't know why. Checked my driver's license and sent me on my way to the gate. Oh, also gave me a number I could call at TSA to (try) and get taken off the list.

Last time I flew about 6 months ago, everything was fine. The *only* thing out of the ordinary that happened since then was I put a fraud alert on my credit files as someone managed to get one of my card numbers and was charging some stuff.

[NJ_gent]

"Personally I would use just arabic names."

That'll work well, let's see who's on Publius Airlines Flight 385, shall we?

• 1A: Timothy McVeigh - Status: Ok
• 1W: Terry Nichols - Status: Ok
• 2A: Ted Kaczynski - Status: Ok
• 2W: John Walker Lindh - Status: Ok
• 3A: John Edward Anthony McNicholl - Status: Ok
• 3W: Dora Maria Tellez - Status: Ok
• 4A: Shoko Asahara - Status: Ok
• 4W: Ted Bundy - Status: Ok
• 5A: Hassan Abunimah - Status: Warning, possible threat
• 5W: Steven Michael Ekberg - Status: Ok
• 6A: Jose Padilla - Status: Ok
• 6W: Thomas Blanton - Status: Ok
• 7A: George Metesky - Status: Ok
• 7W: David J. Gilbert - Status: Ok

Bang-up system you've got there. How about we search every one and every thing that gets onto an airplane? Better yet, how about the airlines do that? There's a reason El-Al is the safest airline in the world. Whether you're a 22 year old Palestinian or a 90 year old American, you will be searched, you will be questioned, and you will be made aware of the guys with M-16s guarding the cockpit.

[LurkedLongEnough]

According to previous official notices, TSA had said it would not store commercial data about airline passengers.

Did TSA do this? I guess it depends on how you define "commercial"?

How does this compare with the recent news stories about fraudsters collecting millions of US citizens' credit card information?

[eleni121]

ACLoonyU is upset? It must be a good move.

[agitator]

[nj26]

How about we begin by searching anybody with a Muslim surname or a passport from the Middle East?

This TSA "watch list" system is a joke.

[freepatriot32]

No, perhaps some scolding.

If that even

[PAR35]

I guess it depends on how you define "commercial"?

Or how you define "store". Was the TSA storing the data, or was the private contractor? If they had used remote terminals to access the databases rather than having accepted the CDs, there probably would not have been a problem.