[Infowarrior] - Presidential Directive Orders Sharing of Biometric Data

[Richard Forno]

  Presidential Directive Orders Sharing of Biometric Data


http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/2008/06/biometric_data.html

http://www.fas.org/blog/secrecy/?p=1790

The White House last week issued a National Security Presidential  
Directive (NSPD-59) to provide a framework for government agencies to  
collect, maintain and share biometric data such as fingerprints and  
other physiological or behavioral characteristics of suspected  
terrorists.

“The ability to positively identify those individuals who may do harm  
to Americans and the Nation is crucial to protecting the Nation,” the  
directive states.

“Many agencies already collect biographic and biometric information in  
their identification and screening processes. With improvements in  
biometric technologies, and in light of its demonstrated value as a  
tool to protect national security, it is important to ensure agencies  
use compatible methods and procedures in the collection, storage, use,  
analysis, and sharing of biometric information.”

“Through integrated processes and interoperable systems, agencies  
shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, make available to other  
agencies all biometric and associated biographic and contextual  
information associated with persons for whom there is an articulable  
and reasonable basis for suspicion that they pose a threat to national  
security.”

“The Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy,” who  
hasn’t been heard from much lately, “shall coordinate executive branch  
biometric science and technology policy.”

The new directive on “Biometrics for Identification and Screening to  
Enhance National Security” was issued on June 5, 2008 as both National  
Security Presidential Directive 59 and Homeland Security Presidential  
Directive 24.