Privacy Advocates Say Recruitment Effort Goes Too Far

(Jun. 23) - As U.S. military action in Iraq and Afghanistan continues, the Pentagon -- which has fallen short of its recruitment goals -- is using new means to find potential recruits.

Working with the private marketing firm BeNow, Inc. of Wakefield, Mass., the Pentagon has created a huge database of millions of high school students, aged 16 to 18.

The database includes names, dates of birth, genders, addresses, Social Security numbers, e-mail addresses, ethnicity, telephone numbers, and even grade point averages.

The purpose, according to a Defense Department statement, is "to assist" in "direct marketing recruiting efforts."

Privacy Advocates Concerned

But privacy advocates say it violates a federal law that restricts the government's ability to gather personal information. They say they understand the military's need to recruit but this type of information-gathering goes too far.

"It's very secretive," said Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center. "It feels a lot like a big brother proposal, and it really should be stopped."

The Pentagon -- struggling to recruit in the face of the daily violence in Iraq -- says the database is a way to remain competitive in a marketplace where young people have a lot of choices.

Officials say they will handle the data with care.

"We always worry about privacy issues," Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said.

A growing number of parents were already upset about the military's recruiting techniques. A little-known provision in the 2002 "No Child Left Behind" education law requires every public school to provide the military with the names, addresses and phone numbers of students.

Last month, Louise Wannier went to her daughter's high school to submit an opt-out letter, which prohibits recruiters from accessing personal information.

She learned today about the new database, which may have much more information on her daughter than she'd ever imagined.

"I thought I had protected my kid," she said. "This is a direct violation of family privacy and parental rights."

Privacy advocates and at least one congressman are now fighting to stop the gathering of information for the database.
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This is going to make me sleep better at night. :rolleyes: Now George and Dick can know everything about me including my e-mail address. Maybe I'll get some chain letters. How many of you think they'll sell some of our social security numbers to the thousands of our Mexican and Canadian friends who they allow to cross the border illegally each day? I already get mail monthly from Washington DC, the air force, and the marines and I've never signed up for any of it. Why do they need all of our information? They already interrupt my school day when they come in. If someone wants in the service, they'll join. It's like if someone wants to go to a college, they'll apply. Get up and off of it, Mr. President. -Pat

P.S. - Never fear my liberal friends, Pat is back and more liberal than ever. I'm hear for your civil liberties, human rights, and political needs.

You have to register for Selective Service within a certain number of months after your 18th birthday anyways. So you act like this is some kind of subversive plot, when the government already knows much more about you than you think.

Hmm...this isn't that hard. Many internet companies do the same thing. There is simple java code that can send back numerous different pieces of filedata from a computer just by visiting a website with that code installed.

No shit.

Then the privacy advocates should also be up in arms against the internet companies that data mine millions of people every day on the internet.

Umm, secretive? If it was secretive, the Pentagon wouldn't be issuing statements about it. Besides, you know that they've been doing this for decades already anyways.

Show some respect for your government officials. Oh, and just about anyone can get your email address, it isn't that difficult for the simplest hacker or even internet user to eventually dig it up.

Last time I checked, it was you liberals who were against the Republicans strengthening the borders.

Thank goodness. It makes me feel that much safer already knowing you aren't in the armed forces.

You just basically killed your argument. If someone wants in the service, they'll join. You can say no, as well.

Conclusion: I don't like it when the government compiles data on people, let alone internet companies. There are some things that should be private. While I don't agree with the levels they are taking this too, the army also should be able to try and recruit. This business of bashing the army (or armed services in general) has to stop. If I wasn't going to school on a full ride (or even partial scholarship) I know I would seriously consider one of the branches of the armed forces.

That's what I tell the recruiters when they call. They congratulate me for doing so well. I don't hang-up, or act like an asshole. I thank them for serving our country, and politely decline (at this point, anyway).

I don't think the Pentagon should be doing this, but what's the difference between the government doing it and some 3rd party info collector? Both have about the same chance of losing/misplacing my data so my identity gets stolen.

That should elicit a few crickets from the grass, at least. I can rest peacefully now knowing you've turned down the army. Thank you.

Regards,
Double-J

I'd rather tolerate a desperate recruiter bombarding the answering machine than a letter from the Army that says... I think you can guess. Yes, I know privacy is being violated but one loses a lot more when they are forced to go to war.

As I said, I don't agree with the tactics they are using, but I don't see why it is so wrong and "secretive" if the government comes out and says they are doing it. Besides, you can always decline their offers.

Some people just can't get off their high horse...anything that the army does is subversive, and dangerous. Why not go against the Selective Service agency then, eh? That's the one that by law you have to register to.

Welcome back, Patrick. Nice to see you're still around and as thoughtful as ever. Love the custom title under the avatar too. Is it a song lyric?

Mick

I don't know about anyone else, but I can take care of my own needs. Hell, I can even make my own spelling and grammar mistakes.

Good thing you are HERE so we could HEAR about this.

:p

Trew taht.