FC: Total Information Awareness changes name, problem solved

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

The report:
http://www.darpa.mil/body/tia/TIA%20DI.pdf

---

To: declan () well com
From: Earl Hood <earl () earlhood com>
Reply-To: Earl Hood <earl () earlhood com>
Subject: TIA changes name
Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 11:30:20 -0500

Declan,

I guess the name change game is now being used to deflect criticism
of TIA:

http://reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=2780754

   WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A controversial Defense Department program
   that would comb computer records to identify potential terrorists
   will have safeguards to ensure it does not violate individual rights,
   the Pentagon said on Tuesday.

   Responding to concerns that its Total Information Awareness program
   would allow unfettered surveillance, the Pentagon said in a report
   to Congress that the program would have built-in mechanisms to ensure
   that it did not intrude on Americans' privacy.

   The Pentagon also renamed the program Terrorist Information Awareness.
   ...


---

Date: Wed, 21 May 2003 17:29:05 -0700
To: apis () vees net
Cc: declan () well com
Subject: TIA not meant for "developing dossiers on U.S. citizens", Defense 
Dept insists
From: <planetscape () hushmail com>


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************************************************************
TIA report addresses privacy concerns
************************************************************
DARPA releases report and changes program's name from Total
to Terrorism Information Awareness.
http://www.fcw.com/fcw/articles/2003/0519/web-darpa-05-20-03.asp


TIA report addresses privacy concerns
BY Sara Michael
May 20, 2003

RELATED LINKS


"Privacy steps forward" [Federal Computer Week, May 19, 2003]

"DARPA funds TIA privacy study" [Federal Computer Week, May 19, 2003]

"Senate votes to block TIA system" [FCW.com, Jan. 24, 2003]

In a report released to Congress today, the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency pledged to assess privacy concerns and provide rigorous
oversight to a controversial system intended to track terrorist activity.
The agency also changed the system's name.

The Terrorism Information Awareness (TIA) project, formerly Total Information
Awareness, was renamed after privacy groups raised concerns the system
would gather sensitive information and track American citizens.

"This name created in some minds the impression that TIA was a system
to be used for developing dossiers on U.S. citizens," the report stated.
"That is not [the Defense Department's] intent in pursuing this program."

TIA is a research project that would integrate search tools, such as
data search, translation and pattern recognition, into a network aimed
at analyzing possible terrorist activity. The information would then
allow policy-makers to make decisions in preventing terrorist attacks,
 the report stated.

Since the program began in fiscal 2003, privacy groups and members of
Congress have scrutinized the plans to search government and commercial
databases for information. However, the report stated that the system
would use only foreign intelligence and counterintelligence information
legally obtained and usable by the government under law. The system will
also use information from artificial data generated to model behavioral
patterns, the report said.

TIA is still in the research stage. For it to be used, several factors
would be addressed, the report said:

* Search tools must be tested to show they are accurate and efficient.

* Safeguards must be built in to reduce opportunities for abuse. For
example, DARPA is researching an audit trail tool and tools that keep
the source of information confidential.

* Security measures should be in place to protect against hackers.

* Agencies wanting to use TIA must first conduct a legal review that
examines the uses of TIA and legal issues raised.

* Agencies will also have to develop effective oversight of the system's
user before it will be deployed.

To continue to assess the privacy concerns, DOD has created an oversight
board of senior department and intelligence community representatives,
 chaired by the undersecretary of Defense for acquisition, technology
and logistics. The Defense secretary also will receive advice on legal
and policy issues, the report said.

"The protection of privacy and civil liberties is an integral and paramount
goal in the development of counterterrorism technologies and in their
implementation," the report stated.


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