Government Information Awareness

This entry was published at least two years ago (originally posted on July 4, 2003). Since that time the information may have become outdated or my beliefs may have changed (in general, assume a more open and liberal current viewpoint). A fuller disclaimer is available.

The Government Information Awareness website just might be one of the coolest things I’ve stumbled across recently, thanks to this article from Wired News.

Researchers at the MIT Media Lab unveiled the Government Information Awareness , or GIA, website Friday. Using applications developed at the Media Lab, GIA collects and collates information about government programs, plans and politicians from the general public and numerous online sources. Currently the database contains information on more than 3,000 public figures.

The premise of GIA is that if the government has a right to know personal details about citizens, then citizens have a right to similar information about the government.

GIA was inspired by the federal government’s Terrorist Information Awareness, or TIA, program.

[…]

GIA allows people to explore data, track events, find patterns and build profiles related to specific government officials or political issues. Information about campaign finance, corporate ties and even religion and schooling can be accessed easily. Real-time alerts can be generated when news of interest is breaking.

“History shows that when information is concentrated in the hands of an elite, democracy suffers,” said Csikszentmihályi. “The writers of the Constitution told us that if people mean to be their own governors, they must arm themselves with information. This project brings that American spirit of self-governance into the era of networked information technology.”

GIA site users can submit information about public figures and government programs anonymously. In an attempt to ensure the accuracy of submitted data, the system automatically contacts the appropriate government officials and offers them an opportunity to confirm or deny submitted data.

But like an FBI file, information is not purged if the subject denies its veracity; the denial is simply added to the file. McKinley wryly added that those government officials who have nothing to hide have nothing to fear from GIA.

I spent a few minutes poking around on the GIA website, and I’ve gotta say, this is an impressive, and potentially extremely useful site. For examples, take a look at their pages for Seattle Representative Jim McDermott, or Alaska Senator Ted Stevens. Unfortunately, their page for President George Bush leaves a bit to be desired just yet.

Anyway, good stuff, and a great project.