You’ve probably heard about the Bush administration’s
controversial Total Information Awareness or TIA (newly renamed
‘Terrorist’ Information Awareness), created to mine data
(financial, educational, medical, travel, etc.) from U.S. citizens’
electronic data trails in an attempt to preempt terrorist strikes.
Well, now there’s the Government Information Awareness project
(GIA), developed by MIT Media Lab researcher Ryan McKinley. GIA’s
aim is to level the playing field by giving citizens a
comprehensive information resource about government. As the website
states, ‘That a government with countless details about its
constituents will serve them better is a theory that’s oft been
proven wrong, while the theory that a country should have access to
details about its governors is one that this country was built on,
and is incontestably solid.’ Not only can you find standard
information on your elected officials, the site is set up for
citizens — including people in government — to provide anonymous
intelligence about the government, as well as the ability to
electronically monitor a government individual, agency, or
organization. ‘Is this legal?’ reads a question in the FAQ section.
Answer: ‘It should be.’
— Anne Geske
Go there>>
Government Information
Awareness
