Databases
 

Pardon me while I adjust my tinfoil hat, but I get the feeling this might be The G trying to get their hands on passenger manifests not for the advertised reason.

Couldn't the government/CDC/whoever gain access to flight manifests through the airline in the event of a medical emergency? I assume this has already happened in the past.

Isn't it also possible with statistics that already exist to figure out how an epidemic would spread? (no passenger information needed)

Speaking of databases, you coming into chat?

Customs already has the paxs info for the most part for US flights. So dp other parts of DHS and the DoD.

Why does Customs have passenger info for domestic flights, that is, flights entirely within the United States? I can understand DHS and DoD, but Customs?

One would have to trace through the Privacy Act notices to follow the paper trail. The first questions are: Who is the agency collecting this Privacy Act-controlled information in the first place? Have they made all the proper declarations? Then, have they declared to whom they would share thia information and for what purposes it would be used? If they said they would give it to a third party, has the third party made all of the proper legal disclosures? Of course, the answers to these questions are either "No" or "We don't have to..." Regardless, the present group of senior government leaders have repeatedly demonstrated that compliance with the law doesn't appear to be a high priority these days.

If there is a compartmented program out there to create massive quarantine facilities, mass innoculations, and worse, the way to find out about it is to have a good investigative reporter (if there is one anymore) poke around and simply "follow the money."

I think this serves two purposes:

1) gather raw data to see what IT contractors behind the scenes can massage out of it - all essentially away from the public eye and in secret. The results of these findings will be used to either abandon or move forward with a CAPPS-II type product, possibly also in secret, possibly without Congressional oversight. DHS and the TSA are growing 'tired' of Congressional nitpicking and their pesky use of Constitutional protections.

2) use the data to keep track of people exposed to the Bird Flu for purposes of keeping their whereabouts known when the government decides its quarantine time. Make no mistake - this Administration does not have our best interests at heart. They are not going to use this information to send out a nice letter asking me to see my doctor. When this thing starts spreading from human to human, they will start rounding people up in droves - this is their way of making it easier to find us, especially the early contaminees who acquired the disease abroad.

This is not a conspiracy theory, it's just a logical extension of previous practices and statements made by the Administration. Hope I'm wrong? You bet I do.

They already have access to the databases. I found out that i was trailed by the FBI, for security clearnace, for two weeks, They knew EVERY flight i had ever taken, every flight i was booked on, and everything else about me. I did manage to loose them for 24 hours when i booked a last min (an hour to be at the airport last min) award reservation, but they caught up with me. It was funny to read the report a few weeks later. But yes they already have access to EVERYTHING about you. Big Brother is hiding in the wings. What freedom do we have?

*awaits the men with shackels and straight jacket to come for me now*

Yes. The government, more specifically the CDC, can gain access to the manifest information. This is what's happening with the Mumps outbreak in the Midwest. The initial reports of infection were directly linked to two passengers that flew aboard commercial airlines. Now, it's spread throughout the Midwest very rapidly.

The reason for putting the database together in advance of an outbreak is to work out the complicated issues in merging data from all of the airlines. My business is involved in data management and business intelligence products. To develop a good, reliable application, planning and proper execution is required to do it right. That said, do I expect the US government to achieve success and have a reliable product. Not a chance!

What happens when the start using such an application to start tracking down people in case of quarantine for the bird flu or some other rapidly emerging bio threat? I look at the 'No Fly' list and the prospect scares me. If we can't figure out who shouldn't be flying, how can we even begin to consider a product that could be used to take away the most precious of our personal rights, Freedom.

The big difference is that you authorized them to collect this information when you signed your background investigation paperwork and all of the other forms. You also signed a medical release form, which gives your doctor(s) permission to release any medical information on you.

Actually, NO I DIDN'T. I had no idea it was going on at all till after the fact. A friend of mine who was part of the NSC told me about it after the fact. He had no idea that I was being tailed. It steamed from the fact that I had ran into the President, VP, and Pres/VP canidates a few dozen times in the course of a month and was able to get close to those people and they wanted to know more about me. Guess I am no risk to anyone.

*still awaiting shackels and straight jacket to appear any time now*

I'd like to hear how you were able to read the report.

awaits the men with shackels and straight jacket to come for me now

Anyone can request a copy of their FBI file.

Sure. Under the Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act. But would you get it within a "few weeks"??