Now U.S. Intelligence can keep tabs on innocent Americans even if they DON'T have terror links

Information about innocent Americans could be stored by the intelligence community for up to five years.

New Obama administration guidelines will allow the National Counterterrorism Centre to hang on to information about people that is stored in other government databases, even when they have no clear links to terrorism.

They replace guidelines issued in 2008 under which the NCTC was required to immediately destroy the data in such situations.

In a statement, the Director of National Intelligence, James Clapper, said: ‘Following the failed terrorist attack in December 2009, representatives of the counterterrorism community concluded it is vital for NCTC to be provided with a variety of datasets from various agencies that contain terrorism information.

‘The ability to search against these datasets for up to five years on a continuing basis as these updated guidelines permit will enable NCTC to accomplish its mission more practically and effectively.’

But the move has spiked fear among privacy advocates who are concerned about the potential for data-mining information on innocent Americans. Read More