Viacom gets to see what we're searching for on Google, and employees at the State Department and Department of Homeland Security are checking out personal information in our passport files. Just for fun and occasional profit.
Investigators found that 20,500 government workers and contractors had access to the electronic system that maintained the records. Most of them worked for the State Department or the Department of Homeland Security.
Five contractors already have been fired, and dozens of people are under investigation for alleged snooping that took place in offices across the United States and even overseas.
The 192 million passport files maintained by the State Department contain individuals' passport applications, which include data such as Social Security numbers, physical descriptions, and names and places of birth of the applicants' parents.
So what's the government doing about it? "Appropriate measures," meaning the usual punishment: 40 lashes with a wet noodle.
"We are reviewing the circumstances under which people looked at these records and we will take action," said Michael Kirby, a senior official with the State Department's Bureau of Consular Affairs, which handles passports. "If it's inappropriate access, we will take appropriate measures."
Privacy Act violations could result in misdemeanor penalties or fines if workers disclosed personal information to a third party not authorized to receive it. Another law, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, could result in criminal penalties for unauthorized access to government computer systems.
State Department officials said that if they discover that the breaches resulted in identity theft or other problems for passport holders, they will notify them and offer credit-protection services. But officials said there have been no reports that the information in the applications was improperly used.
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