DHS Proposes Secret Watchlist Database, Privacy Groups Protest

DHS Proposes Secret Watchlist Database, Privacy Groups Protest

The Department of Homeland Security is planning to duplicate the FBI's Terrorist Screening Database to expand an extensive database called Watchlist Service -- and no one can know if they're on the list

Privacy is a major concern in today's day and age, whether regulators are calling Facebook out on its invasive features like facial recognition or consumers are worrying about new camera technology like license plate recognition and red light camera.

Now, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is giving the American people a whole new list of worries in the realm of privacy. According to recent reports, DHS is planning to duplicate the FBI's Terrorist Screening Database to expand an extensive database called Watchlist Service, which will include names, birthdays, photos and biometrics of the accused. The new watchlist will combine four different DHS systems of records including IDENT, which is managed by the US-VISIT Program; Treasury Enforcement Communication System (TECS), which is managed by Custom and Border Protection (CBP) Passenger Systems Program Office; Transportation Security Threat Assessment System managed by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), and the TSA's Secure Flight Records.

The problem is that the DHS has proposed to exempt the Watchlist Service from Privacy Act provisions, which means that a person will never know if they are listed.

More at [link to www.dailytech.com]