Justice Department eyes spy program

NF Reporter · 11-27-2006, 07:21 PM

AP - The Justice Department has begun an internal investigation into its handling of information gathered in the government's domestic spying program.

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waltky · 06-27-2008, 04:39 PM

Congress tells FBI not so fast...

FBI Data-Mining Plan Hits Roadblock in Congress
June 26, 2008 : House Says Program Could Violate Americans' Privacy

Quote:

A Congressional panel voted Wednesday against giving the FBI $11 million it requested to expand a controversial data-mining program, citing concerns about Americans' privacy and the lack of answers from the bureau on how the program operates. The National Security Analysis Center (NSAC) brings together hundreds of millions of electronic records created or collected by the FBI and other government agencies, according to FBI documents. The bureau has said it expects that number to skyrocket in the coming years. Its annual budget, which the FBI had hoped to increase, is roughly $60 million.

Last year, lawmakers raised questions about the FBI's stated goal of using the vast ocean of data to "predict" who might be a potential terrorist, in the absence of intelligence linking the man or woman to any radical or extremist group. Leading experts, and even U.S. intelligence officials, have said the approach is not feasible. In an earlier report to Congress, the FBI called NSAC "a dynamic organization with an evolving mission" and "the next essential step" in fulfilling President Bush's order to create a National Security Service within the Justice Department and FBI. The Bureau did not immediately respond to a request for comment for this story.

"It is unclear how the Bureau intends to define these predictive models in such a way as to avoid needless intrusions into the privacy of innocent citizens," a House appropriations panel wrote in a report explaining its decision to withhold $11 million in money the FBI had requested to expand the program. The report also cites concerns about the program wasting agents' time by sending them out to run down false leads. Concerns the administration was withholding information from Congress about the program were also raised by Rep. Brad Miller, D-N.C., one of two lawmakers to initially raise concerns about the NSAC.

More ABC News: FBI Data-Mining Plan Hits Roadblock in Congress