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WAR ON TERRORISM AND PRIVACY

Washington (USA). According to some recent revelations by the Associated Press, in its fight against terrorism the Homeland Security Department for 4 years has been making use of special register of people travelling from a through the States. It is collecting a kind of “terror score” covering also behaviours and purchases. But it is not all about security: such data might be shared with local authorities and other governments as well as transferred to tribunals, to the Congress and - under special conditions - also to private customers. Moreover, such information might be used to determine whether to hire a person, whether to grant a certain permission and also to influence relationships with the public administration sphere. The process is based on a monitoring software called Automated Targeting System or ATS. Until some time ago, it was considered a tool for goods freight control by security and privacy experts. But as some revelations showed it was actually used for passengers too. In order to determine the “score”, ATS registers a series of information: air ticket purchase, previous travels, selected seats. What is more, ATS can collect apparently minor details such as air food and car used. The American government means to hold these data for 40 years being the data available for local authorities, friendly nations and private consultants

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