Surveillance-industrial complex

The Privatization of Surveillance 

The U.S. security establishment is rapidly increasing its ability to monitor average Americans by hiring or compelling private-sector corporations to provide billions of customer records. The explosive growth in surveillance by government and business is creating a "Surveillance Industrial Complex" that threatens all of our privacy. 

Related SourceWatch Resources

 * American Civil Liberties Union
 * Carnivore
 * company police agencies
 * data mining
 * Echelon
 * Internet surveillance
 * outsourcing
 * Personal surveillance
 * privatization
 * Surveillance
 * Surveillance technology
 * TALON
 * Total Information Awareness
 * Server In the Sky
 * DENT1
 * biometrics

Related External Resources
Americans seek international database to carry iris, palm & finger prints] DENT1 was built by the computer technology arm of the US defence company Northrop Grumman. In future it is expected to hold palm prints, facial images and video sequences. A company spokeswoman confirmed that Northrop Grumman had spoken to the FBI about Server in the Sky. "It can run independently but if existing systems are connected up to it then the intelligence agencies would have to approve," she said.
 * ‘Server in the Sky’: FBI international biometric db planned  The FBI told the Guardian: “Server in the Sky is an FBI initiative designed to foster the advanced search and exchange of biometric information on a global scale. While it is currently in the concept and design stages, once complete it will provide a technical forum for member nations to submit biometric search requests to other nations. It will maintain a core holding of the world’s ‘worst of the worst’ individuals. Any identifications of these people will be sent as a priority message to the requesting nation.”
 * [http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2008/jan/15/world.ukcrime FBI wants instant access to British identity data
 * Council of Canadians: Don't set us up with the Server in the Sky