O'Harrow, Robert, Jr. "Centers Tap Into Personal Databases: State Groups Were Formed After 9/11." Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2008, A1. [http://www.washingtonpost.com]
According to a document obtained by the Washington Post, state-run intelligence centers, known as fusion centers, "have access to personal information about millions of Americans, including unlisted cellphone numbers, insurance claims, driver's license photographs and credit reports.... Government watchdogs, along with some police and intelligence officials, said they worry that the fusion centers do not have enough oversight and are not open enough with the public, in part because they operate under various state rules."
[FBI/DomSec/00s; DHS/08]
O'Harrow,
Robert, Jr.
1. "Justice Department Mulls Covert-Action Bill." Washington Post, 20 Aug. 1999, A1. "Who's Tinkering with Your Computer?" Washington Post National Weekly Edition, 30 Aug. 1999, 30.
According to a 4 August 1999 memorandum by the Justice Department, "[l]egislation drafted by the department, called the Cyberspace Electronic Security Act [CESA], would enable investigators to get a sealed warrant signed by a judge permitting them to enter private property, search through computers for passwords and install devices that override encryption programs....
"The proposal is the latest twist in an intense, years-long debate between the government and computer users who want to protect their privacy by encrypting documents. Although Justice officials say their proposal is 'consistent with constitutional principles,' the idea has alarmed civil libertarians and members of Congress."
According to the Electronic Privacy Information Center (EPIC), "New White House Computer Surveillance Plan Would Pose Unprecedented Threat to Privacy," 20 Aug. 1999 [http://www. epic.org], the proposed legislation "could result in an unprecedented intrusion into the sanctity of private homes and businesses."
2. "Agency Says Encryption Law Needed." Washington Post, 21 Aug. 1999, E1. [http://www.washingtonpost.com]
"Saying electronic encryption increasingly threatens to blind law enforcement to criminal activity, the Justice Department insisted [on 20 August 1999] that its agents need the ability to secretly enter private property and disable security on personal computers despite concerns about privacy."
[FBI/99/S&S]
O'Harrow, Robert, Jr. No Place to Hide: Behind the Scenes of Our Emerging Surveillance Society. New York: Free Press, 2005.
According to Stone, Washington Post, 20 Feb, 2005, the author "unveils a modern world riddled with seemingly innocuous private businesses, government agencies and software programs ... [that] are relentlessly compiling information" about all aspects of our lives. In a "chilling narrative, O'Harrow identifies the risks [posed by our more convenient, more secure society] and vividly illustrates them with powerful real-life stories."
[FBI/DomSec/00s]
O'Harrow, Robert,
Jr. "Suspect in CIA Slayings Is Returned to U.S." Washington
Post, 18 Jun. 1997, A1, A3.
[CIA/90s/97/Kansi]
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