EPIC Successfully Obtains Boater Tracking Documents, Settles Case with Homeland Security
After successfully obtaining nearly 2,500 pages of documents concerning a controversial boater tracking program, EPIC has settled a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit with the Department of Homeland Security about the "Nationwide Automatic Identification Systems." According to the documents released to EPIC, the DHS believes that boaters have "no expectation of privacy with regard to any information transmitted" about the location of their boats. The documents also reveal that the agency fuses tracking data with other government data to develop detailed profiles on boaters. EPIC did not objet to the use of NAIS for marine safety; the concern is government surveillance. EPIC has also opposed a DHS plan to collect and maintain records on sea travelers.
March 28, 2016| Share:
