Government Access To Government Access To Private Databases Private Databases

By Kathleen Isley and John D’AlessandroBy Kathleen Isley and John D’Alessandro

The National Security The National Security AgencyAgency

Fighting against terrorism Fighting against terrorism Domestic Spying ProgramDomestic Spying Program Access to telecommunication Access to telecommunication

companies’ databases allows for companies’ databases allows for mass data mining of phone and mass data mining of phone and internet logs without public internet logs without public knowledgeknowledge

The Issue at hand…The Issue at hand…

In light of the possible threat of terrorism, is In light of the possible threat of terrorism, is the NSA’s use of the private data mining the NSA’s use of the private data mining industry as a surveillance tool ethical?industry as a surveillance tool ethical?

What is Data-MiningWhat is Data-Mining

Data mining is searching through Data mining is searching through phone calls, emails, online postings, phone calls, emails, online postings, shopping receipts, financial shopping receipts, financial transactions, and even instant transactions, and even instant messages in order to retrieve messages in order to retrieve information on people. information on people.

Data-Mining: Not a new Data-Mining: Not a new theorytheory

It is not a recent trend for It is not a recent trend for information to be stored and information to be stored and retrieved by large corporations and retrieved by large corporations and other types of organizationsother types of organizations Retailers, for example, mine data on Retailers, for example, mine data on

customer interactions and purchase customer interactions and purchase histories to determine promotions or in-histories to determine promotions or in-store placement.” (High Stakes Data-store placement.” (High Stakes Data-Mining). Mining).

Data Mining Data Mining

Government is a top buyer of data Government is a top buyer of data mining programs (Harris)mining programs (Harris)

In 2004 U.S. feeral agencies engaged In 2004 U.S. feeral agencies engaged in 199 data mining projects (Hoover)in 199 data mining projects (Hoover)

122 of which include personal 122 of which include personal information (Hoover)information (Hoover)

An Example: AT&TAn Example: AT&T

In January 2006 the Electronic Frontier In January 2006 the Electronic Frontier Foundation filed a lawsuit against Foundation filed a lawsuit against AT&T AT&T

AT&T would not publicly deny or AT&T would not publicly deny or confirmconfirm

The lawsuit was dismissed in July The lawsuit was dismissed in July The information made public after it The information made public after it

was leaked by an AT&T technicianwas leaked by an AT&T technician

On May 11 the USA Today reported that On May 11 the USA Today reported that AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Bellsouth had AT&T, Verizon Wireless, and Bellsouth had all agreed to submit phone logs to the NSA all agreed to submit phone logs to the NSA

Bellsouth and Verizon denied these claims Bellsouth and Verizon denied these claims but, AT&T did not but, AT&T did not

Verizon would not comment on whether or Verizon would not comment on whether or not MCI had worked with the NSAnot MCI had worked with the NSA

In June members of the House and Senate In June members of the House and Senate intelligence committees confirmed that intelligence committees confirmed that the NSA had compiled a massive database the NSA had compiled a massive database of domestic phone call recordsof domestic phone call records

However, it was not released what these However, it was not released what these records are used for, how they were records are used for, how they were complied, or if their use was legalcomplied, or if their use was legal

Advantages to Data MiningAdvantages to Data Mining

Can help stop monetary crimes such Can help stop monetary crimes such as money fraud and Identity theft.as money fraud and Identity theft.

““DataData--miningmining techniques regularly help techniques regularly help investigators identify credit-card-fraud investigators identify credit-card-fraud and money-laundering patterns.” (Big and money-laundering patterns.” (Big Brother 101) Brother 101)

Helps to catch criminals and Helps to catch criminals and terrorists without giving away critical terrorists without giving away critical information on innocent citizens.information on innocent citizens. Shopping recordsShopping records Online sites visitedOnline sites visited Recipients of emails and phone callsRecipients of emails and phone calls

Violation of PrivacyViolation of Privacy

““Part of what we mean by privacy in the Part of what we mean by privacy in the West is the ability to control access to our West is the ability to control access to our information (qtd. in “Internet brings information (qtd. in “Internet brings ‘increasing bewilderment’ about concept ‘increasing bewilderment’ about concept of privacy”).”of privacy”).”

Privacy is not concretely defined or Privacy is not concretely defined or protected protected

Expectations of privacy in the U.S. are Expectations of privacy in the U.S. are higher than most countries higher than most countries

Not as much privacy as you Not as much privacy as you thinkthink

A lot of information is already stored on A lot of information is already stored on each citizen anywayseach citizen anyways These records include outgoing and incoming These records include outgoing and incoming

phone numbers, time stamps, and other phone numbers, time stamps, and other information, such as whether the call had been information, such as whether the call had been forwarded, but not names. USA Today reported forwarded, but not names. USA Today reported that AT&T, BellSouth, and Verizon gave the that AT&T, BellSouth, and Verizon gave the government access to call data records starting government access to call data records starting in late 2001. The ambitious goal, according to an in late 2001. The ambitious goal, according to an unnamed source quoted by the paper, is to put unnamed source quoted by the paper, is to put "every call ever made" in the United States into "every call ever made" in the United States into the database.” (Hoover, InformationWeek)the database.” (Hoover, InformationWeek)

The U.S. ConstitutionThe U.S. Constitution

The Fourth Amendment reads:The Fourth Amendment reads:““The right of the people to be secure in their The right of the people to be secure in their

persons, houses, papers, and effects, persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” seized.”

Time for a change?Time for a change?

Constitution has been amended 27 times.Constitution has been amended 27 times. No right to privacy granted in the No right to privacy granted in the

constitutionconstitution Because the internet has changed so much, and is Because the internet has changed so much, and is

in constant change, we need laws to govern its in constant change, we need laws to govern its uses and the people that are internet users.uses and the people that are internet users.

Consumers and Users have never been promised Consumers and Users have never been promised privacy on the internet, especially when they are privacy on the internet, especially when they are the ones giving their information away.the ones giving their information away.

Not Effective Not Effective

Tendency to solve problems that Tendency to solve problems that already occurredalready occurred

There is no indication of what future There is no indication of what future terrorism will entail terrorism will entail

Popular Science: “Predictive data Popular Science: “Predictive data mining to preempt terrorist activities mining to preempt terrorist activities hasn’t been publicly proven so far hasn’t been publicly proven so far (Schachtman).”(Schachtman).”

Things to consider…Things to consider…

How much information can be extracted How much information can be extracted from phone record? from phone record?

This is all of the information known, what This is all of the information known, what else is going on?else is going on?

What other information could the What other information could the government have access to?government have access to?

Will the government always be able to Will the government always be able to have all related lawsuits dropped?have all related lawsuits dropped?

We must consider how this practice of the We must consider how this practice of the NSA could evolve in the futureNSA could evolve in the future

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

Imagine you are a worker at a factory and your friend Imagine you are a worker at a factory and your friend has a health problem that is slightly affecting their has a health problem that is slightly affecting their performance at work, but could later on have a great performance at work, but could later on have a great effect on their performance. Your friend has decided not effect on their performance. Your friend has decided not to tell the employer of the condition. In the following to tell the employer of the condition. In the following weeks, your employer learns of your friend’s condition weeks, your employer learns of your friend’s condition through information such as shopping records, phone through information such as shopping records, phone calls, and internet sites visited. Your friend in turn gets calls, and internet sites visited. Your friend in turn gets fired. Is this an ethical use of data mining? Is your fired. Is this an ethical use of data mining? Is your friend’s condition personal business since it is affecting friend’s condition personal business since it is affecting their work, or does the company have a right to know their work, or does the company have a right to know about the health condition? about the health condition?

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

Companies have been tracking information Companies have been tracking information on their customers and employees for on their customers and employees for years, long before the government had years, long before the government had access to the information. For example, access to the information. For example, phone companies have tracked where and phone companies have tracked where and to whom calls have been placed. Is this an to whom calls have been placed. Is this an ethical act for the companies to record their ethical act for the companies to record their customer’s activities, or is it the consumer’s customer’s activities, or is it the consumer’s private information that is being exploited? private information that is being exploited? What makes this an ethical act or what What makes this an ethical act or what makes this the customer’s private data? makes this the customer’s private data? Why not the other way around?Why not the other way around?

Discussion QuestionsDiscussion Questions

Recently in the news, you have seen many Recently in the news, you have seen many reports of possible terrorist threats avoided reports of possible terrorist threats avoided due to information received from data due to information received from data mining. While the government has claimed to mining. While the government has claimed to have arrested many terrorists from credible have arrested many terrorists from credible information, many innocent people have also information, many innocent people have also been detained an, in turn, set free, due to been detained an, in turn, set free, due to faulty information. Is the reward of catching faulty information. Is the reward of catching possible terrorists worth the risk of detaining possible terrorists worth the risk of detaining innocent American citizens? innocent American citizens?