Warnings about data mining

The genius of technology helped create the data mining tools that are being used for business and by intelligence and law enforcement agencies. But sometimes these tools can be used recklessly and in ways that can violate basic civil liberties that are taken for granted by Americans.

This week's Economist.com outlines the problems with unfettered data mining and how it can be used in a harmful way. Everyone wants the intelligence community to guard against the terrorist threat and protect the nation from attack. But protecting America should not mean giving up our rights to privacy and intruding on innocent citizens.

There is concern that there is not enough oversight by Congress and restraints on the government. Civil liberties advocates are trying hard to stop data-mining from becoming a routine tool for the FBI and other spy agencies to monitor ordinary Americans. They say the White House is trying to formalize data mining programs that would bypass Congress entirely. Last month, members of Congress had an FBI briefing about a secret data-mining plan, and later complained it would allow the FBI to spy on Americans "without any basis for suspicion."

Hopefully, the new administration that will take office in January and the Congress will find middle ground that will give law enforcement and intelligence agencies the latitude they need to do their job but with constraints that will guard against abuse. - Judi