The other day, I mentioned Total (or Terrorism) Information Awareness (TIA), a federal program that Congress shut down in 2004, yet it lives on in various guises. TIA was a project of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency) and was made possible by the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act of 2001. This act was supposed to "sunset" (i.e., end) after four years, but instead was reauthorized in March of 2006. This act generates a lot of debate between those who believe it is a necessary tool to keep us safe and others who believe it is not only ineffective at keeping us safe, but it also unfairly invades our privacy.
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Do You Know Who Is Watching You?
Many of you love Facebook, and Facebook loves you, but maybe a little too much. Facebook keeps an archived copy of anything you put up, including photos and "wall" messages, so even if you take it down, Facebook still has it. Also, simply deactivating your account will not remove your profile. Instead, you must call a customer service center and tell them you want to delete your profile. Clearly, Facebook resorts to this twentieth-century technology only to provide an inconvenience to their twenty-first century customers. Through its Beacon program, Facebook also shares the web sites you visit with those in your social network. Although it now asks your permission to do so, not all users realize what they are asked to opt out of.
The other day, I mentioned Total (or Terrorism) Information Awareness (TIA), a federal program that Congress shut down in 2004, yet it lives on in various guises. TIA was a project of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency) and was made possible by the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act of 2001. This act was supposed to "sunset" (i.e., end) after four years, but instead was reauthorized in March of 2006. This act generates a lot of debate between those who believe it is a necessary tool to keep us safe and others who believe it is not only ineffective at keeping us safe, but it also unfairly invades our privacy.
The other day, I mentioned Total (or Terrorism) Information Awareness (TIA), a federal program that Congress shut down in 2004, yet it lives on in various guises. TIA was a project of DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Programs Agency) and was made possible by the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act of 2001. This act was supposed to "sunset" (i.e., end) after four years, but instead was reauthorized in March of 2006. This act generates a lot of debate between those who believe it is a necessary tool to keep us safe and others who believe it is not only ineffective at keeping us safe, but it also unfairly invades our privacy.
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