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Politics

: PR Watch

Department of Homeland Security Keeps on Creepin' On...

By Brendan Fischer

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BPlogo Recently, we expressed concern about the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) testing iris-scanning technology on immigrants detained at the borders. Since posting that entry, the Center for Media and Democracy has obtained a copy of the DHS ?Privacy Impact Assessment? for the technology?s test run, and we have serious reservations about DHS' consideration of this technology's serious implications for privacy and civil liberty.

The border patrol's test of this iris scanning technology caught our attention for two reasons. First, DHS has been given access to enormous funds to fulfill its politically expedient mandate to ?secure the borders, ? without requiring that the agency carefully balance the funds expended against their potential effectiveness and the impact on civil liberties. Second, by testing new technologies on immigrants who lack both a voice and a vote, they may reduce the risk of being called out for violating civil liberties, allowing elements of the surveillance state to slowly creep into America. People who have just been caught crossing the border are likely too tired, hungry, and dismayed to object to violations of their civil liberties, and they cannot vote anyway.

Full post as published by PR Watch on October 06, 2010 (boomark / email).