U.S. security czar says surrendering info best way to protect privacy
CanWest News Service | September 26, 2007
By Carly Weeks
If Canadians value their privacy, they must be willing to give up some personal information and surrender to electronic body-scans at airports and other technology to help security officials identify potential terrorist threats, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a speech Wednesday.
"I actually believe that many of the measures we take serve to enhance security and serve to enhance privacy," said Chertoff, the keynote speaker at a major conference of privacy commissioners and experts from around the world in Montreal.
New rules requiring Canadians to present passports or other secure identification before crossing the U.S. border and the systematic collection of data from airline passengers are necessary means to help officials quickly assess individuals who may be a threat while maintaining individuals' rights to privacy, he said.
For instance, rather than subjecting all airline passengers to intense screening and searches, which would invade their privacy, the government collects innocuous pieces of information that can identify potential terrorist threats.
While some believe that privacy and national security interests run counter to each other, Chertoff told the gathering of international privacy commissioners and other experts that he believes his department has struck the right balance.
By collecting little pieces of information from everyone that aren't overly private or invasive to gather, security officials can quickly target potential threats and avoid subjecting all travellers to intensive scrutiny or searches.
