Personal surveillance

Personal surveillance is defined as "the surveillance of an identified person in cases [where] in general, a specific reason exists for the investigation or monitoring." Thus defined in 1988, personal surveillance "technologies fit easily within the bounds of the fourth amendment, pose a minimal privacy threat, and can only be applied in a limited number of cases." [1]

Patriot Act I "Buzzwords"

However, since the events of September 11, 2001, the rights previously set forth in the Constitution are not so obviously delineated. This is clearly indicated by the buzzwords found scattered throughout the document known as Patriot Act I:

• biometric identifier
• biometrics
• electronic evidence
• electronic surveillance
• integrated automated fingerprint identification system
• pen register
• surveillance
• trap and trace device
• verification of identification

Additionally, Radio Frequency Identification technology will soon enable micro-monitoring.

Personal Surveillance

• Integration of data -- Bring together all of the data that an organization stores about a person.
• Screening or authentication of data -- Analysis of transaction data against internal norms to determine whether data is out of the ordinary.
• Front-end verification -- Collection of data relevant to the transaction at hand from other personal-data systems, either internal or external, in order to identify whether there is any inconsistency between the data sources. Data inconsistencies may disqualify the transaction or result in other actions.
• Front-end audit -- Collection of data not related to the transaction from other personal-data systems, either internal or external, in order to identify whether there is any inconsistency between the data sources. Data inconsistencies may disqualify the transaction or result in other actions.
• Cross-system enforcement -- The relationship of an individual to one organization is dependent on the relationship of the individual to another organization. For example, in order to purchase a gun, one's criminal history must first be checked.
• Source.

It would seem that personal surveillance technology has become mass surveillance technology, which allows "large populations to be screened without good reason [with the sole purpose being] to root out potential 'problematic' individuals." [2]

SourceWatch Resources

• Carnivore
• civil liberties
• Computer Assisted Passenger PreScreening System II
• Counterintelligence Field Activity (CIFA)
• dangerous technology
• data mining
• digital surveillance
• FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force
• Financial Crimes Enforcement Network
• Fortress America
• Freedom of Information Act
• homeland defense
• homeland security
• Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection
• internet surveillance
• LexisNexis
• Magic Lantern
• Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange Program (MATRIX)
• Novel Intelligence from Massive Data (NIMA)
• Passenger Name Record
• Patriot Act I headlines
• Patriot Act II
• Patriot Act abuses
• Patriot Act industry
• private security consultants
• Secure Flight
• suspicious transactions
• TALON (Threat and Local Observation Notice)
• Terrorist Screening Center
• Terrorist Threat Integration Center
• Total Information Awareness
• US-VISIT
• watchlist

External links

• Anti Terrorism Technology: Introduction.
• Ben Hayes, "Arming Big Brother: The EU's Security Research Programme", TNI Briefing Series 1, April 2006.