CSE Calls for Termination of the TIA program

YOU CAN CHANGE THE NAME, BUT THE PRIVACY THREAT IS THE SAME

Citizens for Sound Economy (CSE) Calls for Termination of TIA program

Washington, D.C. -- In a report released to Congress delivered May 20, 2003, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) attempted to address paramount privacy concerns with its controversial TIA program. TIA aims to aggregate a massive amount of personal information into a central, government controlled database for military, intelligence, and law enforcement use.

Last month, DARPA also changed the system's long name from "Total Information Awareness" to the "Terrorism Information Awareness" project.

CSE Co-Chairman and former House Majority Leader Dick Armey commented:

"You can change the name, but the danger is the same. TIA is a real menace to our privacy, and it is an expensive distraction from the real on-the-ground intelligence that will actually root out terrorists and their cells.

"While DARPA plans privacy safeguards now, history shows that once this type of system is in place, there will be ever mounting pressure to expand it. The opportunity for abuse is astounding, whether it's renegade federal employees or outside hackers.

"Build it, and it will be abused. Tens of millions of your tax dollars are at work to develop the ultimate Big Brother platform. TIA has the potential to undermine our privacy and our freedom. The only real safeguard with TIA is program termination."


For more information, call Brenna Hapes at (202) 942-7629 or visit http://www.cse.org


About CSE
Citizens for a Sound Economy recruits, educates, trains, and mobilizes hundreds of thousands of volunteer activists to fight for less government, lower taxes, and more freedom. Founded in 1984, CSE has 280,000 members nationwide. Former House Majority Leader Dick Armey is co-Chairman.
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Citizens for a Sound Economy...Advancing Freedom through Citizen Action