Local and federal authorities in the United States are set to get unprecedented access to spy assets typically reserved for intelligence agencies, according to the Wall Street Journal. The change could have some obvious advantages for border security and disaster relief, but it's also raising concerns among privacy advocates:
The decision, made three months ago by Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell, places for the first time some of the U.S.'s most powerful intelligence-gathering tools at the disposal of domestic security officials. The move was authorized in a May 25 memo sent to Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff asking his department to facilitate access to the spy network on behalf of civilian agencies and law enforcement.
Until now, only a handful of federal civilian agencies, such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey, have had access to the most basic spy-satellite imagery, and only for the purpose of scientific and environmental study.
According to officials, one of the department's first objectives will be to use the network to enhance border security, determine how best to secure critical infrastructure and help emergency responders after natural disasters. Sometime next year, officials will examine how the satellites can aid federal and local law-enforcement agencies, covering both criminal and civil law. The department is still working on determining how it will engage law enforcement officials and what kind of support it will give them.
As part of the move, the Department of Homeland Security is creating something called the "National Applications Office," which will manage access. While there's support for better imagery data sharing among domestic agencies, a key concern will be oversight of privacy issues.
