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The Fourth Ammendment of the Constitution protects against “unreasonable searches and seizures”.  (For the reasons why the Fourth was created, see this article).

Over 50 federal agencies are either currently or planning to perform data matching and mining, in some cases for anti-terrorism reasons.

So does this violate the Fourth?

According to an article in a forthcoming Georgia Law Review by Daniel Steinbock of the University of Toledo, it seems it might. To wit: “The most striking aspect of virtually all anti-terrorist data matching and data mining decisions is the absence of even the most rudimentary procedures for notice, hearing, or other opportunities for meaningful participation.”

Alex Eckelberry
Presidnet