CBP 'Discovers' An Additional 200 Drone Flights It Didn't Originally Include In Its FOIA Response
This article highlights significant transparency failures regarding the deployment of surveillance drones by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for various law enforcement agencies. A Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by the Electronic Frontier Foundation revealed that CBP initially withheld critical flight logs, later “discovering” additional records that showed a substantial increase in drone usage. This omission demonstrates how bureaucratic opacity can conceal the true scale of government surveillance capabilities, undermining public trust and accountability. The expanded data indicates that sophisticated military-grade technology is being extensively shared with local, state, and federal entities, often far from traditional border zones. Despite legal pressure, CBP continues to withhold the specific identities of these agencies, citing vague concerns about jeopardizing investigations. However, the EFF argues that such blanket non-disclosure is excessive, as revealing general agency affiliations would not compromise specific operations, yet it prevents necessary public scrutiny of these partnerships. This case is relevant to open data advocates because it underscores the critical role of proactive disclosure in preventing unchecked surveillance. The indefinite retention of incidental data by agencies lacking clear governance policies exacerbates privacy risks. The incident serves as a cautionary tale about the necessity of rigorous open data standards, proving that without robust transparency mechanisms, government agencies can easily obscure the extent and impact of their technological surveillance on civil liberties.
Source: techdirt.comPublished on 2023-03-23
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