petaluma1

That's what this says to me:

http://www.consumertraveler.com/toda...-data-testing/

janetdoe

Here is a link to the source article:
http://www.nextgov.com/big-data/2014...ne-data/80065/

The idea that the government would monitor our website usage (i.e. what we read and write) to assess our 'trusted' status is terrifying, and goes further than 1984. This demands action, write your congressmen and Senators immediately and strongly protest this invasion of our First Amendment rights. Talk about a chilling effect.

Spiff

I still don't know why anyone would give into blackmail and sign up for such a program.

chollie

I suspect 'Big Brother' is already monitoring this information for everyone and has been for some time.

This is just to pre-emptively 'legitimize' the practice so there will be less fuss if at sometime in the future information about the practice leaks out.

Does anyone really think that if you currently have TT and you decline to renew in the future you won't be subjected to particular additional scrutiny?

FredAnderssen

I certainly wouldn't, and I travel a lot. As you say, it's extortion, plain and simple.

Even if I wanted to, I don't believe I could sign up for the program since it wouldn't be a stretch for the government to connect my name to my posts here on flyertalk, if they haven't done so already.

GUWonder

It's already been done by the USG.

GUWonder

If I had to bet, I'd bet that you clear today. That might change in the future if/when it's considered more publicly acceptable for the government to administratively punish way more people on the basis of "secret" criteria that includes supposed reading and discussion "behavior"/"habits". We are not there yet, but you can bet that the crowd that tells others to get over "privacy hang ups" is counting on it happening and wants it to happen.

janetdoe

If you're going to make a statement like that, can you please back it up with facts or links or examples for those of us who either a) have no clue what you're talking about or b) like to analyze facts for themselves instead of accepting random statements posted on the internet at face value?

Just asserting that 'It's already been done by the government,' is not helpful in the least for advancing the discussion.

FredAnderssen

Unless you've been living in a cave, I assume you've been following the continuing story of Edward Snowden, Glenn Greenwald, the NSA spying program and PRISM. and now Facebook’s Zuckerberg lashes out at Obama over NSA spy program:

I for one am considering closing down my Flyertalk profile, starting a new one with a false name, and posting only after going through a couple of proxies.

FredAnderssen

I certainly hope you're correct, as I'm not aware of any boats that go from CPH to the U.S. if I were to land on the No Fly list.

Sadly, Freedom of Speech has become an anachronism.

GUWonder

I understand where you are coming from and would be of the same sentiment as yourself if not for the different courses of life that have professionally and personally provided me a kind of access to information that is rather uncommon but that has not lead me or anyone else down a false course.

My statements are backed by facts on these matters always. I'm under no obligation to spoon-feed on demand, especially when the details to satisfy another's curiosity or skepticism to a degree I would consider sufficient if in the shoes of another would make it easier for my sources to be compromised. You can write me off however you wish but my record here on these matters stands for themselves, and a bunch of stuff I indicated on here years ago on these matters have been publicly validated repeatedly when the leaks hit the public domain days, weeks, months or years later. Make of this what you wish. There are plenty of public indications of what has been done by our government and our partners in the public and private sectors at home and abroad. I think you can fish for yourself.

GUWonder

As with Snowden, I'd not hesitate to try to visit you at CPH to tell you how I would and would not make my way to the Americas if my favorite government would blacklist me for nothing more than being a willing fisher-person for information on government behavior and sharing that for which I'm not professionally-tasked to protect. My last days of caring about security clearances are behind me.

FredAnderssen

I do appreciate the offer, and would gladly take you up on it if my fate is such that my government doesn't want me flying on airplanes. But if such is the will of the country of my birth, I'm not so sure I would want to go back, anyway. It's amazing to think that one has to come to Europe to regain some semblance of the freedoms lost in the U.S., though sadly there are plenty of shenanigans going on here, too.

CZBB

Lots of people are forced to get Trusted Traveller Status in order to avoid massive delays in getting anything done in the USA. I'm a NEXUS member, which has a very invasive questionnaire/interview by two governments, and I did it in order to avoid the almost guaranteed hour+ long lineups to enter the USA. Even with NEXUS it took me 34 minutes of lineup to enter the USA last weekend.

After a couple of 2-3+ hour border lineups to enter the USA you just give up and get something like NEXUS.

Only one country has ever made me wait more than an hour to enter, and that's the USA; and on more occasions than I can remember. It really is the biggest pain the ... border I've ever crossed.

Schmurrr

If TSA proceeds with this, it is a disgusting development in itself as well as a big middle finger to the people who have been expressing concern about mass surveillance and other forms of government overreach. Federal government actors have obviously chosen to ignore the concerns that are being expressed by the public.