While it may not
specifically mention credit cards transactions, it authorizes, in very vague terms, just about anything they want. And it does specifically mention the creation of the database and mining technologies outlined in DARPA's Information Awareness Office (IAO) goals.
Disclaimer: I am sorry for the lenght of the following excerpt, but I wanted to get the relevant information in context:
Subtitle A--Directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection; Access to Information
SEC. 201. DIRECTORATE FOR INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION.
(a) UNDER SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR INFORMATION ANALYSIS AND INFRASTRUCTURE PROTECTION-
(d) RESPONSIBILITIES OF UNDER SECRETARY- Subject to the direction and control of the Secretary, the responsibilities of the Under Secretary for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection shall be as follows:
(1) To access, receive, and analyze law enforcement information, intelligence information, and other information from agencies of the Federal Government, State and local government agencies (including law enforcement agencies), and private sector entities, and to integrate such information in order to--
(A) identify and assess the nature and scope of terrorist threats to the homeland;
(B) detect and identify threats of terrorism against the United States; and
(C) understand such threats in light of actual and potential vulnerabilities of the homeland. ...
(11) To consult with State and local governments and private sector entities to ensure appropriate exchanges of information, including law enforcement-related information, relating to threats of terrorism against the United States.
(A) any material received pursuant to this Act is protected from unauthorized disclosure and handled and used only for the performance of official duties; and
(B) any intelligence information under this Act is shared, retained, and disseminated consistent with the authority of the Director of Central Intelligence to protect intelligence sources and methods under the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 401 et seq.) and related procedures and, as appropriate, similar authorities of the Attorney General concerning sensitive law enforcement information.
(13) To request additional information from other agencies of the Federal Government, State and local government agencies, and the private sector relating to threats of terrorism in the United States, or relating to other areas of responsibility assigned by the Secretary, including the entry into cooperative agreements through the Secretary to obtain such information.
(14) To establish and utilize, in conjunction with the chief information officer of the Department, a secure communications and information technology infrastructure, including data-mining and other advanced analytical tools, in order to access, receive, and analyze data and information in furtherance of the responsibilities under this section, and to disseminate information acquired and analyzed by the Department, as appropriate.
(15) To ensure, in conjunction with the chief information officer of the Department, that any information databases and analytical tools developed or utilized by the Department--
(A) are compatible with one another and with relevant information databases of other agencies of the Federal Government; and
(B) treat information in such databases in a manner that complies with applicable Federal law on privacy.
In fairness I did include this last paragarph. However, the bill is exempted from the FOIA, so those clauses will have no real effect.
(14) To establish and utilize, in conjunction with the chief information officer of the Department, a secure communications and information technology infrastructure, including data-mining and other advanced analytical tools, in order to access, receive, and analyze data and information in furtherance of the responsibilities under this section, and to disseminate information acquired and analyzed by the Department, as appropriate.This verbiage talks about how they are going to use data, not the data they will be gathering per se. Data mining? The feds? Cripes, they couldn't even run a simple SQL query on the sniper database to discover a Caprice with a lot of entries.
This will be a data landfill, not a data warehouse.