national database news stories on Newser

UK Halts Anti-Pedophile Database

Rob Quinn — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 03:00:00 CDT

Britain has halted work on a massive pedophile database just weeks before it was to be introduced. Government ministers say the vetting program—which would have required gathering information on 9 million people—will be scaled down and redesigned along "common sense" lines, the Telegraph reports.

Boy, 8, Makes 'Terror Watch List'

Rob Quinn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 05:05:33 CDT

James Robinson, 8, shares more than a name with a pilot and a former assistant attorney general, CNN reports. All three have found themselves on the government's terrorist watch list and must verify they're not James Robinson, suspected terrorist, before they can fly. Little James was first held up at...

Feds Compile Database on Border-Crossing US Citizens

Rob Quinn — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 04:22:02 CDT

The federal government has begun tracking the border crossings of US citizens and building a huge database with the information, the Washington Post reports. The data collection, made possible by machine-readable documents, has alarmed privacy groups. The government plans to keep the information for 15 years and share it with...

Feds Forge National Crime Dragnet

Rob Quinn — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:23:00 CST

Law enforcement agencies all over the country are building a new information "dragnet" that will dramatically boost data-sharing, the Washington Post reports. This month the Justice Department will begin hooking up local and county police forces to the new federal National Data Exchange, creating a "one-stop-shop" that will let investigators...

Feds to Unveil New ID System

Peter Fearon — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 08:22:19 CST

Homeland Security officials will unveil plans today for new super-secure drivers' licenses but will give reluctant states more time to comply, the AP reports. Every American under 50 will have to switch to the new licenses by 2011 and those older by 2018. The licenses will be linked to a...