Christ on a pony

[thebratqueen]

Thanks to lucifrix for the heads-up.

The US goverment is currently considering a program called CAPPS II. The short summary is that this is a secret database of whatever information the goverment sees fit that they'd never have to show you yet could still use to jail you or deny you the ability to travel.

A slightly longer explanation (c/o the ACLU):

A secretive new system for conducting background checks on all airline passengers threatens to create a blacklist of Americans who cannot travel freely. This new government program, called Computer-Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System or CAPPS II -- would search secret intelligence and law enforcement databases and rate every airline passenger a red-, yellow- or green-level threat.

Using easily falsified information such as name, home address, home phone number and date of birth, this system would screen your name through credit databases and then run your information through secret government databases to make a judgment about your security risk. These secret databases would probably be compiled using intelligence and law enforcement records that could include personal information gleaned from commercial data such as purchase history and banking records.

Based on all of this information, you may be allowed to travel, undergo special security scrutiny, or be referred to law enforcement and possibly detained. If you are branded a "risk" due to false information, the process for correcting the error is unclear and could result in significant delays or detention for many innocent people.

If you are as appalled by this as I am, you can send a free fax to your Senators and Representatives by going here on the ACLU website. All it takes is a couple of clicks.