From former Republican Congressman Bob Barr's web site:
March 12, 2009
Those of us who follow matters regarding civil liberties and the erosion of our right to privacy by the federal government have known for some time that the so-called “Terrorist Watch List” has grown far too large and intrusive. We now know this to be a fact. According to “official” federal data, released in response to requests from USA Today, the FBI has confirmed that the number of names on the list has now hit one million! Not only is this list bloated beyond any reasonable relationship to who might be a “terrorist,” but it continues to cause serious privacy and other practical problems for citizens who are on the list in error or whose names are on the list for no good reason. Also, it is not uncommon for airlines and entities that use the lists to deny people services (such as boarding a plane) not because their names are actually on the lists, but because their names are similar to names on the lists. Congress needs to hold hearings on this abuse and put a stop to the growth of this and other privacy-invasive lists and databases by the government.
|
|