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Comments (4)
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Save/ShareTo help track suspected terrorists, the Federal Bureau of Investigation scans through the records of many businesses. The records of travel companies are targeted in particular. Wired has the scoop in its blog post on newly declassified files.
To sum it up, the FBI's National Security Branch Analysis Center tracks the national and international travel records of citizens. Recently, the center snapped up the following info:
• 55,000 entries on customers of hotels including Ramada Inn, Days Inn, Super 8, and Howard Johnson
• 730 records from rental-car company Avis
• 17,000 traveler itineraries from the major airlines
Here's an example of what the FBI does with the data: Avis' records were compared against one of the State Department's terrorist watch lists, to try to spot patterns of suspicious behavior or find the whereabouts of suspected plotters.
Maybe I've been watching The Wire, too much, but this news doesn't worry me. I'm partly amused by the thought of some bureaucrat wearing a solid white, short-sleeved T-shirt and a black tie being forced to transcribe my travel plans. Makes me want to take some more exotic itineraries just to spice things up.
Does the FBI's monitoring of citizens' travels make you feel safer? Or do you feel that your privacy is being invaded?
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I wouldn't mind seeing by dossier too. With my unusual last name, I have been surprised (quite pleasantly so) that I have not had to undergo more rigorous screening. I hate to think what it might be like if I looked middle-eastern rather than Scandinavian. Go figure. I'm with you Sean, no worries, be happy, and create a big dossier by traveling all the world over.
Posted By Tom B. on September 23, 2009, 8:54 PM
I have yet to see anyone who might be middle eastern receive any worse treatment than someone who looks scandinavian. Just because you're middle eastern or look middle eastern and have subjected to a secondary search doesn't mean it was because you looked middle eastern. Ted Kennedy was on a no fly list and he certainly couldn't be construed to be middle eastern.
Posted By pacific_waters on September 24, 2009, 1:37 AM
Its unbelievable that our government wastes all this time, effort and OUR MONEY over all this foolishness. Of course all the people who really are terrorists just have to get to Mexico and walk on in.
Posted By DUNEYA on September 24, 2009, 4:28 AM
Absolutely I feel safer! Thank God they are doing something about it. I have never understood why some people complain about the extra security at the airport. The safer the better!
Posted By caribbean_queen on September 24, 2009, 1:26 PM