Location:
The Heritage Foundation's Lehrman Auditorium

Information may be the most important weapon in the war against terrorism. As its importance has increased, so have concerns over its collection, potential abuse and effects on privacy. The Department of Homeland Security seeks to use information in its domestic counterterrorism role while protecting the public from undue infringement. The Privacy Office of the Department of Homeland Security overseas the collection and dissemination of such personal information under the guidelines established pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974. New technology initiatives, such as the Transportation Security Administration’s Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II), have only furthered discussions about the appropriate measures to increase both privacy and security.

How will the government determine the accuracy of information it has collected? Will the commercial data used by CAPPS II in its “threat assessment” be shared with other federal agencies and security databases? Are there adequate provisions in place to protect the civil liberties of American citizens?



Please join us for a serious discussion on these and other pertinent issues with the Department of Homeland Security’s Chief Privacy Officer, Nuala O’Connor-Kelly.