Terror Risk Scoring: Analytical Crime Prevention of the Future or Gross Violation of Consumer Privacy?

Over the last decade, consumers have become increasingly educated and aware of the impact of credit scores on their lives. Once kept top-secret by the lending industry, consumers can now review their Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit scores when ever they want and can use this knowledge to correct mistakes or negotiate deals.  It's hard to believe, but this disclosure of credit data to consumers was once very controversial.

Now a new controversial credit score has entered our lives: the Secure Flight Terror Risk Score. This score is designed to calculate your risk of being a terrorist much in the same way that traditional credit scores calculate your risk of defaulting on a loan. In order to generate the Terror Risk Score, the Department of Homeland Security has been mining data on virtually every person entering or leaving the US. Your travel records, ticket payment, DMV records, seat preference and even in-flight meal choice goes into the calculation.

Millions of Americans now have Terror Risk Scores. Consumers are not allowed to see or dispute their score and the record stays on file for 40 years. Legislators have critiqued the program and called for investigation into the data accuracy and privacy measures.

I happen to be a true believer in the power and accuracy of analytical scoring. When applied correctly, scoring algorithms can help businesses make smarter decisions and can reduce the costs for consumers. But visibility is a key and necessary part of scoring. A scoring system that has no way for consumer review, dispute or audit isn't going to be accurate or fair to Americans. I'm torn on the use of Terror Risk Scores because they have great potential for preventing crimes but also call up very serious privacy, civil liberty, data security and law enforcement concerns.

What do you think about terror risk scores? Take our poll today:

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If you have concerns about Terror Risk Scores, you can contact Homeland Security's Privacy Office.  The department has agreed to review their policies based on consumer comments they receive over the next 90 days. You can share your thoughts with the Privacy Office by email at privacy@dhs.gov, by phone at 571-227-3813 or by fax at 571-227-4171.

Comments

[Carole-Ann Matignon]

There is, I think, a genuine concern about letting machines take important decisions (see http://www.edmblog.com/weblog/2006/12/is_it_scary_to_.html for instance), especially when those decisions relate to crime. Like you I think this kind of thing COULD be good but requires good oversight and easy and effective mechanisms for correction, something I fear is lacking right now.