Privacy advocates are warning against the government’s efforts to consolidate and use personal data for fraud detection and other purposes. Representative Jamie Raskin has criticized the move, saying it could lead to political retaliation and abuse of power similar to how authoritarian states like Russia and China use data to control their citizens. The White House has not detailed how the data will be safeguarded and used, but has focused on combating fraud. Technologists warn that using complex data sets to make decisions could result in errors and harm. National security experts caution that a large collection of citizen data could be a target for cybercriminals and enemy nations. While private companies and data brokers already have access to data, the government’s control over certain aspects like immigration enforcement and Social Security payments raises concerns among privacy advocates. The Electronic Privacy Information Center has taken legal action to block government access to financial and workforce data. Overall, the debate around data privacy and government control underscores the potential for misuse and abuse of personal information.
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