A FEDERAL PANEL of policy makers and scientists has published a report questioning the effectiveness of data mining in the seemingly ubiquitous war against terror.

The controversial practice has been aggressively utilised by various security agencies since the 9/11 attacks in 2001. Indeed, counter-terrorism officials routinely attempt to analyse records related to travel habits, calling patterns, e-mail and financial transactions.

However, the committee of the National Research Council noted there was scant evidence to prove that data mining had successfully identified terrorists or their nefarious activities.

The panel also warned that the invasive technique threatened privacy rights and undermined legitimate national security concerns by potentially implicating individuals with no actual connections to terrorism.

"To address [the terrorism threat], new technologies have been created and are creating dramatic new ways to observe and identify people, keep track of their location, and perhaps even deduce things about their thoughts and behaviors," the report stated.

"The task for policy makers now is to determine who should have access to these new data and capabilities and for what purposes they should be used. These new technologies, coupled with the unprecedented nature of the threat, are likely to bring great pressure to apply these technologies and measures, some of which might intrude on the fundamental rights of US citizens".

The report also recommended that an external entity monitor information-based counter-terrorism programs to "mine the miners and track the trackers". µ

L'Inq
NY Times