§2000ee–3 Federal Agency Data Mining Reporting

Summary

Requires heads of federal agencies that use or build data mining to send a report to Congress and to make the report public (except for a separate secret annex). Data mining is a program that looks for pattern-based signs of possible terrorist or criminal activity by searching one or more electronic databases without starting from a named person and not just for fraud or computer security. Database means electronic collections but not phone books, freely available news, or legal research collections. Each report, made with the agency’s privacy officer, must describe the data mining projects, goals, and any rollout dates; the technology and how it decides a pattern matters; the data sources used; how well the project is expected to work; the privacy and civil liberties effects and steps to protect people’s rights; the laws that apply; and the policies to keep data accurate and give people ways to seek redress. Any classified, law-enforcement-sensitive, proprietary, or trade-secret material goes in an annex that is given to the appropriate congressional oversight and intelligence committees but not released to the public. First reports were due within 180 days after August 3, 2007, and must be updated at least once a year.