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March 7, 2003 edition of ACM TechNews

"As computer scientists and engineers we have significant doubts that the computer-based TIA program will achieve its stated goal of countering terrorism through prevention."
--Barbara Simons, Co-Chair, USACM
/ USACM Questions Pentagon’s TIA Surveillance Plan
By Jeff Grove
Director, ACM Office of Public Policy
Washington, D.C.
Over the past several months, the computing community has grown increasingly concerned with an effort by the US Defense Department’s Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to promote a project that develops new tools for advanced intelligence gathering. Known as the Total Information Awareness (TIA) system, the project involves gathering vast amounts of personal information on U.S. citizens to compile a database of highly sensitive information. The data would include financial, medical, educational, telephone, and travel records.
Improvements in computing, communications, and storage technologies continue to provide society with new methods of data collection and analysis. Many of those methods promise new efficiencies for tailored services, more effective law enforcement, and better use of public funds. However, the aggregation and analysis of personal data can also lead to a potentially severe erosion of privacy.
Reflecting its privacy and security concerns, ACM’s U.S. Public Policy Committee (USACM) recently sent a letter to Congress recommending a rigorous independent review of the TIA program. While recognizing that research and development in data-mining, fusion methods, and privacy-enhancing technologies are important, USACM identified technological challenges and serious privacy and security risks inherent in vast database surveillance efforts such as the TIA project.
"As computer scientists and engineers we have significant doubts that the computer-based TIA program will achieve its stated goal of countering terrorism through prevention," said Barbara Simons, Co-Chair of USACM. In citing the serious risks associated with the development of a vast database surveillance system, she suggested that a review include an examination of the technical feasibility and practical reality of the entire program.
USACM Co-Chair Gene Spafford noted that databases like those proposed by TIA would provide new targets for exploitation and attack by malicious computer users, criminals, and terrorists. "It is unlikely that sufficiently secure databases of the required size and complexity, whether centralized or distributed, can be constructed and effectively employed in a secure environment, even with significant research advances." He concluded that the government can take important steps now to improve current operational systems that enhance homeland security without creating major new risks to the nation’s information infrastructure.
The same day the USACM letter was sent to Congressional leaders, the Senate unanimously approved an amendment to this year’s defense appropriation bill prohibiting the Pentagon from spending any additional funds on the TIA program until a detailed explanation of the technology and its potential uses has been completed. The amendment further prevents the Pentagon or any other agency from using the system against U.S. citizens. A conference committee of House and Senate members has agreed to uphold the ban on TIA funding.
To receive monthly updates about TIA and other public policy issues of concern to the ACM membership and community, subscribe to the ACM Update from Washington by sending an email to with "subscribe WASHINGTON-UPDATE" (no quotes) in the body of the message. To contact Jeff Grove, email .
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