Tue, Aug 19, 2003
The 'Boycott Delta' Guy Is Back At It, as TSA Tests Spy
Network
Bill Scannell, the guy who exposed
Delta's (and later, Song's) complicity with the TSA and Department
of Homeland Security in gathering passenger data, as the feds
tested their latest profiling spyware (CAPPS II), has let us know
that the program is back in 'beta' mode. He wrote us, "The idea of
citizens' having to undergo a background investigation simply to
travel in his or her own country is invasive and un-American. The
CAPPS II system goes far beyond what any thinking citizen of this
country should consider reasonable. That citizens will be required
to provide detailed personal information to private companies that
can be used for tracking and marketing purposes is repugnant."
Boycott?
His idea is as old as unionization, and has worked for
centuries: "If enough people refuse to conduct business with
Galileo or any of its sister companies," he said, "then it is
likely that other Computerized Reservation Systems (CRS) will
refuse to implement this sadly misguided and anti-democratic
program." To that end, he's calling for a boycott of Galileo and
Cendant: "The boycott will remain in full effect until Galileo
publicly withdraws from any involvement with the testing of CAPPS
II."
Interestingly, the DHS says it will post letters from those who
disagree with their spying. Here's the email address, for your
comment [...and to open your own personal government file, and to
get yourself on an IRS audit list, and to... naw, we're just
paranoid, right? OK -- we're paranoid; you go tell them
--ed.]: privacy@dhs.gov
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