must read: Jet Blue shared 5 mil passenger records with DoD

[grasswire]

Stunning news. Jet Blue airline provided information on 5 million passengers to a Department of Defense contractor in a secret agreement. The contractor then purchased corresponding credit and personal history on these people from another data collection firm, and created secret dossiers.

Very sinister. Read it and weep. And maybe do a little research on this firm Torch Concepts and its subsidiaries and affiliations.


http://www.wired.com/news/privacy/0,1848,60489,00.html

JetBlue Airways confirmed on Thursday that in September 2002, it provided 5 million passenger itineraries to a defense contractor for proof-of-concept testing of a Pentagon project unrelated to airline security -- with help from the Transportation Security Administration.

The contractor, Torch Concepts, then augmented that data with Social Security numbers and other sensitive personal information, including income level, to develop what looks to be a study of whether passenger-profiling systems such as CAPPS II are feasible.

Privacy activist Bill Scannell, who runs the Don't Spy On.Us website, had scathing words for JetBlue's revelation.

"JetBlue has assaulted the privacy of 5 million of its customers," said Scannell. "Anyone who flew JetBlue before September 2002 should be aware and very scared that there is a dossier on them."

Torch Concepts acquired the data by contacting the Transportation Security Administration, which says it facilitated the transfer of the data from JetBlue to Torch Concepts, according to TSA spokesman Brian Turmail.

more at the link above.

web site for Torch Concepts: http://www.torchconcepts.com/index.htm

[grasswire]

1. another snip

The company then used the data to create profiles of groups of travelers, dividing them into three specific groups: young middle-income homeowners, older upper-income homeowners and a group of passengers with anomalous records, which the presentation attributes to "erroneous entry, fraud or mischief."

Under the proposed CAPPS II system, passengers like those in Torch's third group would likely be assigned a yellow code by the system's algorithms, resulting in increased screening at the gate. Those whose identifying information is verified and who do not match a watch list of terrorists or wanted felons would get a green and face minimal scrutiny. Those whose names show up on the watch list would face arrest or be barred from flying.

The company's presentation concluded that "known airline terrorists appear readily distinguishable from the normal JetBlue passenger patterns," but said differentiation would be enhanced if the system had access to a passenger's annual, as well as lifetime, traveling history.

[grasswire]

2. is that the first admission...

...that passenger info has been run through NCIC?

Remember, when dissent is criminalized, these programs will prevent critics of the government from flying.

[dfong63]

4. nice categories there

paraphrasing just a bit here, the three categories are:
A) young middle-income homeowners
B) older upper-income homeowners
C) suspects

category C (suspects) therefore includes anyone who is not a homeowner; anyone who is lower-income; anyone who is young upper-income or old middle-income...

what has become of the "land of the free"???

[ComerPerro]

3. I am sorry, grasswire, but

Sometimes you just post too late.

I am starting to feel bad for you. So I am replying to kick this up.

However, I am also responding because this is important. For anyone that doubts that the Patriot Act may at some point be used against them, please read this.

Its your flight records, your credit history, even the books you check out at the library.
And :wtf: is this about them compiling a dissoier on the passengers?

I smell the vile stench of fascism.

[punpirate]

5. If JetBlue did this...

... how much do want to bet that the other airlines have, as well? With different database companies... think American Airlines and ChoicePoint, for example, with help from the TSA.

Now, the interesting point is that Torch Concepts is "a defense contractor" and the data was used "for proof-of-concept testing of a Pentagon project unrelated to airline security...."

Mr. Poindexter's boys have been pretty busy. I recall reading when one of his pet projects, the PAM, was cancelled, they'd already spent about $90 million on it in unappropriated funds. Wonder if this is an indication of unappropriated funds being spent on TIA?

Cheers.

[jumptheshadow]

6. Scary stuff

So apartment dwellers are now the new security risk on airlines?

Here comes the class action lawsuit.

[grasswire]

7. kick this important info...

...for the day team.

[Karenina]

8. Response from Jet Blue

Please see this related thread:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=367415