Surveillance Program Captures And Tracks Money Transfers Without Court Oversight: WSJ

Watcher.Guru reported on the new TRAC initiative, a U.S. surveillance program that allows law enforcement agencies to access over 150 million money transfers without court oversight.

The information originated from the Wall Street Journal, which first reported about it. The program tracks financial transactions between the U.S. and more than 20 countries.

Senator Ron Wyden conducted an investigation and revealed the existence of the TRAC initiative through internal program documents obtained. The surveillance program reportedly grants access to a database containing millions of money transfers to hundreds of different federal, state, and local authorities.

In 2014, the Arizona state Attorney General’s office created the Transaction Record Analysis Center (TRAC), a little-known nonprofit that was originally established as part of a settlement with Western Union to combat the trafficking of drugs and people from Mexico.

However, the program has since expanded significantly, allowing 600 law enforcement entities unlimited access to money transfers within the United States and internationally, according to the Wall Street Journal.

TRAC records the full names of both the sender and recipient, as well as the total amount transferred. The program’s director, Rich Lebel, claims that it has led to “hundreds of leads and busts involving drug cartels and other criminals seeking to launder money,” as per the report.

Concerns about TRAC

The director of TRAC, Rich Lebel, stated that it is a “law-enforcement investigative tool” and that they don’t broadcast it to the world but also don’t hide from it. On the other hand, Senator Wyden expressed concerns that TRAC allows agencies to access “an all-you-can-eat-buffet of Americans’ personal financial data” while bypassing normal protections for American privacy.

One of the most concerning aspects of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting on TRAC is the way it is used by the government. According to the report, any authorized law-enforcement agency can query the data without a warrant to observe transactions by Americans. One slide show prepared by a TRAC investigator also showed how the program’s data could be used to scan for categories such as “Middle Eastern/Arabic names”, according to the report.

Overall, the reality of TRAC is far different from the due process expected from the government. Normally, to obtain bank records, law enforcement must show relevant documents and acquire a subpoena or warrant. This U.S. surveillance program bypasses all need for oversight and protection of previously protected privacy.