[Infowarrior] - U.S. to create 'risk assessments' of air passengers

[Richard Forno]

U.S. to create 'risk assessments' of air passengers
Department of Homeland Security implements data-mining system for passengers
traveling to the U.S.
By Tom Espiner
Special to CNET News.com
Published: December 5, 2006, 9:00 AM PST
http://news.com.com/U.S.+to+create+risk+assessments+of+air+passengers/2100-7
348_3-6140909.html?tag=nefd.top

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has implemented a data-mining
system for all passengers traveling to the U.S., including travelers from
the European Union.

The Automated Targeting System (ATS) is a data-mining system that will let
the agency create "risk assessments" of tens of millions of travelers. The
information will be held for 40 years, and even U.S. citizens will have no
right to view those risk assessments.

"With respect to the data that ATS creates, i.e. the risk assessment for an
individual, the risk assessment is for official law enforcement use only and
is not communicated outside of CBP (Bureau of Customs and Border Protection)
staff, nor is it subject to access under the Privacy Act," said a Department
of Homeland Security assessment of the system's impact on privacy.

Risk assessments will be used to determine whether the subject is deemed a
security threat, or is likely to contravene any article of U.S. law.
However, the Department of Homeland Security has said that innocent
passengers may not even be aware that information on them is being mined or
that risk assessments are being formed.

"ATS is a system that supports CBP law enforcement activities, as such an
individual might not be aware of the reason additional scrutiny is taking
place, nor should he or she as this may compromise the means and methods of
how CBP came to require further scrutiny," the agency said.

The data is initially collected from both government and commercial sources,
including airline reservations. So-called Passenger Name Record (PNR) data
may include passenger name, address, contact details, flight details,
frequent flier details, accommodation details and general remarks.

Once collected, the data is fed into the Treasury Enforcement Communications
System, an "overarching law enforcement information collection, targeting,
and sharing environment," according to a Department of Homeland Security
document.

Access to the data will be granted to law enforcement bodies, the Secret
Service, and also "contractors, grantees, experts, consultants, students,
and others performing or working on a contract, service, grant, co-operative
agreement, or other assignment for the Federal government," according to the
document.

No mention is made of the public being able to access the data collected on
them. There is a mechanism for redress should incorrect or inaccurate data
be collected--but how passengers would know that incorrect data is being
held has not been explained by the agency. The data can be corrected through
the redress process. Once this happens, risk assessments are reformulated in
real time.

Electronic rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) called this
an "invasive and unprecedented data-mining system," and called for the
government to delay implementation of the scheme until there had been
informed public debate. ATS was implemented on Monday.

"The government is preparing to give millions of law-abiding citizens 'risk
assessment' scores that will follow them throughout their lives," said EFF
senior counsel David Sobel.

"If that wasn't frightening enough, none of us will have the ability to know
our own score, or to challenge it. Homeland Security needs to delay the
deployment of this system and allow for an informed public debate on this
dangerous proposal," he added.

Under a deal with the European Union, the Department of Homeland Security
can electronically access PNR data from air carriers' reservation and
departure control systems within the European Union.

Tom Espiner of ZDNet UK reported from London.