FC: Americans nervous about Fed surveillance, want it anwyay

From: Declan McCullagh (declanat_private)
Date: Wed Mar 12 2003 - 22:24:51 PST

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    From: "Robert Vinet, The Privacy Manager" <Robertat_private>
    To: <declanat_private>
    Subject: American Public Continues to Endorse a Broad Range of Proposals 
    for Stronger Surveillance Powers
    Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 12:27:51 -0400
    
    Declan,
    
    Thought you and your readers might be interested in this press release from
    Harris Interactive.
    
    Robert
    
    --------------------------------------------------
    Robert Vinet
    Publisher, The Privacy Manager
    http://www.ThePrivacyManager.com
    
    FREE Privacy News at
    http://www.ThePrivacyManager.com/privacynews.htm
    --------------------------------------------------
    
    Homeland Security: American Public Continues to Endorse a Broad Range of
    Proposals for Stronger Surveillance Powers, but Support Is Somewhat
    Declined, According to Harris Interactive Survey
    
         ROCHESTER, N.Y., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Large majorities of the
    public,
    aware that it would affect their civil liberties, continue to favor giving
    law
    enforcement agencies stronger powers, which they might use when dealing with
    people suspected of terrorist activities.  However, these majorities have
    declined modestly since we last asked questions in March last year, and have
    declined further since September 2001 (right after September 11).
         In spite of the (relatively small) declines in public support, the
    survey
    results show that there is still a broad consensus in favor of giving law
    enforcement tougher powers.  It seems likely that the modest erosion is a
    result of time passing, lessening the immediate horror felt on 9/11. There
    is
    no suggestion in these data of any negative reactions to the expanded
    surveillance power which the FBI and other agencies have already been given.
         These are some of the results of The Harris Poll(R), a nationwide study
    conducted by Harris Interactive of 1,010 adults surveyed by telephone
    between
    February 12 and 16, 2003.  Respondents rated each of ten different types of
    surveillance as follows:
    
          * Stronger document and physical security checks for travelers:
            supported by 84%, compared to 89% last year and 93% in September
    2001.
          * Stronger document and physical security checks for access to
    government
            and private offices:  supported by 82%, down from 89% last year and
    92%
            in 2001.
          * Expanded under-cover activities to penetrate groups under suspicion:
            favored by 81%, compared to 88% last year and 93% in 2001.
          * Use of facial recognition technology to scan for suspected terrorists
            at various locations and public events:  favored by 77%, compared to
            81% last year and 86% in 2001.
          * Issuance of a secure I.D. technique for persons to access government
            and business computer systems, to avoid disruption:  favored by 75%,
            down slightly from 78% in 2002 and 84% in 2001.
          * Closer monitoring of banking and credit card transactions to trace
            funding sources:  favored by 67%, down from 72% last year and 81% in
            2001.
    
         Four other proposals never enjoyed as much support as those already
    mentioned (after 9/11 they were favored by between 54% and 68%).  The first
    two, however, appear to be almost as important to people now (as war seems
    imminent) as they were immediately following the crisis on September 11,
    2001.
    These are:
    
          * Adoption of a national I.D. system for all U.S. citizens:  favored by
            64% now, interestingly up from last year (59%) bringing it very close
            to the level that it was after September 11, 2001 (68%).
          * Expanded camera surveillance on streets and in public places: now
            favored by 61%, by 58% last year, and favored by 63% in 2001, nearly
            the same as this year.
    
         The next two are no less popular than they were a year ago, but they
    receive less support now than they did immediately after attacks on the
    World
    Trade Center and the Pentagon:
    
          * Law enforcement monitoring of Internet discussions in chat rooms and
            other forums: now favored by 54%, 55% last year, down from 63% in
    2001.
          * Expanded government monitoring of cell phones and email, to intercept
            communications: virtually unchanged since last year, favored by only
            44% and opposed by 53%.  In September 2001, it was favored by a 54%
    to
            41% majority.
    
         Another indication that strong law enforcement in pursuit of potential
    terrorists continues to enjoy strong support is that three out of every four
    adults (74%) continue to feel at least somewhat confident that "U.S. law
    enforcement will use its expanded surveillance powers in ... a proper way."
    Only 23% (who are not very or not at all confident) seem to be concerned
    about
    potential abuses of these surveillance powers.
         These questions were developed with Dr. Alan Westin, the well-known
    expert
    on privacy issues.  In reviewing these numbers, Dr. Westin said, "The
    finding
    that one-quarter (23%) of the public does not believe government will use
    its
    new powers properly parallels Harris Interactive surveys showing that about
    one quarter of U.S. adults believe they personally have been the victim of a
    privacy invasion. They also indicate that a similar one-quarter adopts a
    very
    high, or "Privacy Fundamentalist," orientation on consumer privacy issues.
    This shows that the 75% to 25% split on new government anti-terrorist powers
    is not unique to the 9/11 situation but is directly in line with overall
    American privacy attitudes today."
    
                                        TABLE 1
            FAVOR/OPPOSE TEN PROPOSALS FOR INCREASED LAW ENFORCEMENT POWERS
    
    "Here are some increased powers of investigation that law enforcement
    agencies
       might use when dealing with people suspected of terrorist activity, which
       would also affect our civil liberties.  For each, please say if you would
                                  favor or oppose it."
    
          Base:  All Adults
                                                       %    Favor   Oppose   Not
    
    sure/
    
    Decline
                                                                              to
    
    Answer
         Stronger document and physical
          security checks for travelers     Feb. 2003  %      84      14       1
                                            Mar. 2002  %      89       9       2
                                            Sept. 2001 %      93       6       1
         Stronger document and physical
          security checks for access to
          government and private office
          buildings                         Feb. 2003  %      82      15       2
                                            Mar. 2002  %      89      10       1
                                            Sept. 2001 %      92       7       1
         Expanded under-cover activities to
          penetrate groups under suspicion  Feb. 2003  %      81      17       2
                                            Mar. 2002  %      88      10       2
                                            Sept. 2001 %      93       5       1
         Use of facial-recognition
          technology to scan for suspected
          terrorists at various locations
          and public events                 Feb. 2003  %      77      20       3
                                            Mar. 2002  %      81      17       2
                                            Sept. 2001 %      86      11       2
         Issuance of a secure I.D.
          technique for persons to access
          government and business computer
          systems, to avoid disruptions     Feb. 2003  %      75      21       4
                                            Mar. 2002  %      78      16       6
                                            Sept. 2001 %      84      11       4
         Closer monitoring of banking and
          credit card transactions, to
          trace funding sources             Feb. 2003  %      67      30       2
                                            Mar. 2002  %      72      25       2
                                            Sept. 2001 %      81      17       2
         Adoption of a national I.D. system
          for all U.S. citizens             Feb. 2003  %      64      31       5
                                            Mar. 2002  %      59      37       5
                                            Sept. 2001 %      68      28       4
         Expanded camera surveillance on
          streets and in public places      Feb. 2003  %      61      37       1
                                            Mar. 2002  %      58      40       2
                                            Sept. 2001 %      63      35       2
         Law enforcement monitoring of
          Internet discussions in chat
          rooms and other forums            Feb. 2003  %      54      42       4
                                            Mar. 2002  %      55      41       4
                                            Sept. 2001 %      63      32       5
         Expanded government monitoring of
          cell phones and email, to
          intercept communications          Feb. 2003  %      44      53       4
                                            Mar. 2002  %      44      51       4
                                            Sept. 2001 %      54      41       4
    
    
                                        TABLE 2
                   CONFIDENCE THAT SURVEILLANCE POWERS IN PROPER WAY
       "Overall, how confident do you feel that U.S. law enforcement will use its
    expanded surveillance powers in what you would see as a proper way, under
    the
      circumstances of terrorist threats?  Would you say very confident, somewhat
                 confident, not very confident, not confident at all?"
    
         Base:  All Adults
                                               Sept.  March  February
                                               2001    2002    2003
                                                 %       %       %
    
                     Very confident             34      12      22
                     Somewhat confident         53      61      52
                     Not very confident          8      17      14
                     Not confident at all        4       6       9
                     Not sure/Decline to answer  1       3       2
    
         Methodology
         The Harris Poll(R) was conducted by telephone within the United States
    between February 12 and 16, 2003 among a nationwide cross section of 1,010
    adults (ages 18+).  Figures for age, sex, race, education, number of adults
    and number of voice/telephone lines in the household were weighted where
    necessary to align them with their actual proportions in the population.
         In theory, with a probability sample of this size, one can say with 95
    percent certainty that the results have a statistical precision of plus or
    minus 3 percentage points of what they would be if the entire adult
    population
    had been polled with complete accuracy. Unfortunately, there are several
    other
    possible sources of error in all polls or surveys that are probably more
    serious than theoretical calculations of sampling error. They include
    refusals
    to be interviewed (non-response), question wording and question order,
    interviewer bias, weighting by demographic control data and screening (e.g.,
    for likely voters).  It is impossible to quantify the errors that may result
    from these factors.
         These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National
    Council on Public Polls.
    
         About Harris Interactive(R)
         Harris Interactive (http://www.harrisinteractive.com ) is a worldwide
    market research and consulting firm best known for The Harris Poll(R), and
    for
    pioneering the Internet method to conduct scientifically accurate market
    research. Headquartered in Rochester, New York, U.S.A., Harris Interactive
    combines proprietary methodologies and technology with expertise in
    predictive, custom and strategic research. The Company conducts
    international
    research through wholly owned subsidiaries -- London-based HI Europe
    (http://www.hieurope.com ) and Tokyo-based Harris Interactive Japan -- as
    well
    as through the Harris Interactive Global Network of local market- and
    opinion-research firms, and various U.S. offices. EOE M/F/D/V
         To become a member of the Harris Poll OnlineSM and be invited to
    participate in future online surveys, visit http://www.harrispollonline.com
    
    
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