Feds Compile Database on Border-Crossing US Citizens

The federal government has begun tracking the border crossings of US citizens and building a huge database with the information, the Washington Post reports. The data collection, made possible by machine-readable documents, has alarmed privacy groups. The government plans to keep the information for 15 years and share it with investigators whenever needed.

Homeland Security officials say the information will help combat terror, but critics fear the data will be abused. "People expect to be checked when they enter the country and for the government to determine if they're admissible or not," said a lawyer. "What they don't expect is for the government to keep a record for 15 years" of their travels. (More border control stories.)