Watchdog Unveils Gov't Search Tool
In observance of Sunshine Week, the Electronic Frontier Foundation on Monday launched a sophisticated search tool that lets the public to examine thousands of pages of documents the watchdog group has retrieved from government agencies through Freedom of Information requests and litigation. The documents relate to a range of technology issues and government policies that affect civil liberties and personal privacy. EFF's collection sheds light on controversial government initiatives, including the FBI's Investigative Data Warehouse and the Homeland Security Department's Automated Targeting System.
"Until recently, documents obtained under FOIA often gathered dust in filing cabinets," EFF Senior Counsel David Sobel said in a press release. "We believe that government information should be widely available and easy to research, and our new search engine makes that a reality." "We welcomed President Obama's declaration -- on his first full day in office -- that he will work to make the federal government more open and participatory," EFF attorney Marcia Hofmann said. "There's certainly a lot of work to do -- so much government activity has been hidden from public view in the name of 'national security' and the 'war on terror.'"
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