From Alterman's blog: More on the ALA and the Patriot Act

[MountainLaurel]

Now, as a librarian and ALA member, I had been well aware of the study reporting that despite the line of bullshit the feds are feeding the media, law enforcement is indeed asking libraries to divulge patron records and other information. However, I did not know that ALA housed the data on a server in Canada where the government would be unable to access it. That a national organization of this size and stature felt compelled to take this action is really. fucking. scary.


snip

While this should be a cause for concern for any citizen, it comes with a sad addendum: It would appear that the ALA doesn't trust the government enough to house its findings on a computer server anywhere in the United States. The ALA, in surveying U.S. libraries for a report on the impact of the USA Patriot Act, housed its data on a computer server in Canada, beyond the reach of U.S. authorities. This comes on the heels of a vote in the House of Representatives last week - by a 238 to 187 margin - to roll back the FBI's power to seize library and bookstore records.

snip

But it's not only libraries that are feeling the heat of increased government snooping into the private habits of citizens. The government said Wednesday that after the Sept. 11 attacks it shared Social Security information with law enforcement officials looking for terrorism suspects and trying to identify victims. The Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Security Administration plans to disclose in the Federal Register that the agency has collected personal data about airline travelers. This took place in spite of a congressional ban and the agency's promise not to do so. The administration, apparently, considers itself to be outside of laws passed by Congress and unbound by its own promises.

http://www.alternet.org/rights/22297/