Friday, December 07, 2012

Whittling Privacy Away

Almost ten years ago, the National Academies, which advises the U.S. government on scientific matters, urged federal agencies to stop using polygraph tests as a screening technique. They felt that the risk of innocent people failing the test, and spies passing it, was too high.  Yet, last year more than 73,000 Americans submitted to polygraph tests to get or keep jobs with the federal government, although such screening is mostly banned in the private sector and widely denounced by scientists.  Many of these test disregard one's privacy by asking employees and applicants questions about their personal lives and private thoughts.  The rationale being that they have to protect us from spies, terrorists or corrupt law enforcement officers.  The test results are kept so secret that those who undergo the tests often can’t get access to information about their interrogations, and most are barred from filing complaints in federal court.

I feel so safe.

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