EPIC Launches Open Government Gallery [Advisory Board]

[Dave Farber <dave () farber net>]

I think you will find the site very illuminating especially the funed TIA
sites.

Dave

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       CONTACT:
Date: March 14, 2003                        David L. Sobel x.105
                                             Mihir Kshirsagar x.110
                                             202-483-1140


       EPIC LAUNCHES OPEN GOVERNMENT GALLERY FOR FOIA DAY 2003
         Former Secrets About Electronic Surveillance, Total
            Information Awareness, and Video Surveillance
                    Now Available at www.epic.org

Today the Electronic Privacy Information Center launched an "Online
FOIA Gallery" that showcases documents EPIC obtained in the past year
from federal agencies under the Freedom of Information Act.  The new
Web site celebrates open government and the annual Freedom of
Information Day.

EPIC's General Counsel David L. Sobel said, "The FOIA is critical for
the functioning of democratic government because it helps ensure
that the public is fully informed about matters of public concern."

In the past year, EPIC has obtained several important documents about
proposed government programs for new systems of public surveillance:

      * One set of documents featured in the EPIC FOIA Gallery
      concerns the controversial Total Information Awareness
      program.  The documents, obtained by EPIC under the FOIA,
      reveal the companies and universities that will receive
      funding from the federal government for this new system of
      national surveillance.

      * Also available are Park Police helicopter surveillance
      camera logs that show that public demonstrations in Washington,
      D.C., such as the Million Family March, the Pro-Life March,
      and the Anti-Globalization protests, are routinely videotaped
      by law enforcement agencies.

      * One internal FBI memo describes the steps to get a
      search warrant under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
      Act (FISA). But two other memos obtained through the FOIA
      document how FBI agents failed to follow those legal
      guidelines in practice.

      * Another memo reveals numerous mistakes that agents made
      with electronic surveillance warrants, such as illegally
      videotaping suspects, intercepting e-mails without court
      permission, recording the wrong phone conversations, and
      allowing operations to run beyond their legal deadline.

      * Another memo describes how an FBI anti-terrorism
      investigation involving Osama bin Laden in March 2000 was
      hampered by technical flaws in the Bureau's controversial
      Carnivore Internet surveillance system.  A written report
      describes the incident as part of a "pattern" indicating
      "an inability on the part of the FBI to manage" its foreign
      intelligence surveillance activities.

The documents have led to several efforts to promote government
accountability.  Prompted in part by these FOIA disclosures, members of
the Senate Judiciary Committee introduced the Domestic Surveillance
Oversight Act, which would improve the public reporting requirements
for electronic surveillance.

The D.C. City Council has also held extensive hearings on video
surveillance in Washington, citing the documents obtained by EPIC.  The
Council has now developed regulations that prohibit the Police from
recording protected First Amendment activities.

EPIC is a public interest research organization in Washington, D.C.
EPIC has litigated many of the leading Freedom of Information Act
cases concerning privacy and government surveillance.  EPIC also
publishes a litigation manual on the Freedom of Information Act and
open government laws.

The FOIA Gallery can be seen at
http://www.epic.org/open_gov/foiagallery.html

EPIC, Litigation Under the Federal Open Government Laws
http://www.epic.org/bookstore/foia2002/

                                 - 30 -


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