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It's also administrative, everybody involved in supplying the data would have to give their total cooperation.

It's staggering to contemplate. How many business are in this country? 20 million or so. That's 20 million data feeds. Every POS system in the country would have to be re-programmed to provide a standard data extract, and that data would have to be transmitted, loaded, checked and then merged. The way I look at it, the IRS can't even implement tax systems where almost all the data arrives with a common key. How are the feds going to handle data coming from 20 million point sources with no common key, and deliver finished data in anything remotely resembling timeliness? I've matched data from large sets for a living, and 80 percent is a good match rate - fine for marketing, but completely inadequate for an investigative tool. The gaps in this process are absolutely HUGE, and any terrorist with a brain will have no trouble avoiding detection.

"I've matched data from large sets for a living, and 80 percent is a good match rate - fine for marketing, but completely inadequate for an investigative tool. "

In an ideal world, you would be correct. But perfection is in no way the goal, when it comes to things like CAPPS II or TIA. It's a matter of no concern to those implementing these things that you are held up for a flight. They don't care. They don't know you.

If 20% are held up, well, there it is. This is the danger with such schemes, IMO. By casting a broad net, such programs will slow things down, but won't have any positive effect.

Your numbers are good, but the folks working on these issues don't care if they get a 99% match rate. They care even less than the telemarketer or junk mail marketer does. It's no skin off their noses, to be quite frank, if you're prevented from boarding your plane because you have the same name as some mad bomber. Your recourse is limited, and in the future. You will miss your flight. John Ashcroft does not care if you miss your flight.

...and 80 percent is a good match rate - fine for marketing, but completely inadequate for an investigative tool....

80% is fine for investigation; so is 8%. The experiences under the usual suspects (Russia, Germany, Iraq, etc.) have shown that all that counts is information, not whether the information is correct.

Besides, datamining is an excellent way to fish for probable cause. One can match up people with purchases or books checked out or restaurant choices and make a case for a warrent. It's not required to be good, useful, correct, etc., only to be fundable.