Countering Terrorism through Information and Privacy Protection Technologies

This article describes a vision for countering terrorism through information and privacy-protection technologies. This vision was initially imagined as part of a research and development (R&D) agenda sponsored by DARPA in 2002 in the form of the information awareness office (IAO) and the total information awareness (TIA) program. It includes a critical focus and commitment to delicately balancing national security objectives with privacy and civil liberties. We strongly believe that the two don't conflict and that the ultimate solution lies in utilizing information technologies for counterterrorism along with privacy-protection technologies to safeguard civil liberties, and twining them together with coordinated policies that bind them to their intended use