WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. government has been using its border checkpoints to collect information on citizens that will be stored for 15 years, raising concern among privacy advocates, the Washington Post reported on Wednesday.

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the collection is part of a broader effort to guard against terrorist threats, the report said, citing a Federal Register notice the agency issued last month.

Officials said the disclosure is among a series of notices to make the department's data gathering more transparent, the newspaper reported.

A notice by Customs and Border Protection, a DHS agency, said it does not perform data mining on border crossings to search for patterns that could signal a terrorist or law enforcement threat, according to the Post.

But it states that information may be shared with federal, state and local governments to test "new technology and systems designed to enhance border security or identify other violations of law," the Post reported.

A DHS spokesman was not immediately available for comment on the report.

Information on international air passengers has long been collected this way but Customs and Border Protection only this year began to log the arrivals of all U.S. citizens across land borders, the Post said.

Privacy advocates raised concerns about the expanded collection of personal data and said safeguards are needed to ensure the system is not abused.

"People expect to be checked when they enter the country and for the government to determine if they're admissible or not," Greg Nojeim of the Center for Democracy and Technology told the Post.

"What they don't expect is for the government to keep a record for 15 years of their comings into the country."

DHS spokesman Russ Knocke told the paper that the retention period was justified.

"History has shown, whether you are talking about criminal or terrorist activity, that plotting, planning or even relationships among conspirators can go on for years," he said. "Basic travel records can, quite literally, help frontline officers to connect the dots."

(Reporting by JoAnne Allen; Editing by John O'Callaghan)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080820/us_nm/usa_security_checkpoints_dc

Just how free are we in the US? Just how free is free will? Info used at will with and/or without authorization. What's next?

Well Fran, If you don't croos the border, then you don't have anything to worry about, now do ya?

“Under the law of nature, all men are born free, every one comes into the world with a right to his own person, which includes the liberty of moving and using it at his own will. This is what is called personal liberty, and is given him by the Author”

Thomas Jefferson

defeats the purpose no??

This is the philosophy that "they" hope you will keep so "they" can keep taking away your personal liberties slowly but surely until all are gone.

It started with Bush and will not end until we get a president in office who appreciates our personal rights. McCain is not the one by the way.

this is someone's idea of control NO?

You are free to roam around so long as I can track your A$$... bunch of crap.

Thats a joke. The government doesnt go by the constitution or any of the words of the founders anymore. I dont even know why we even bother pretending anymore.

I agree with you on this. Only thing i disagree on is the timing. "They" were around long before Bush Senior. "They" consist of democrats and republicans alike. And "they" will be around long after Bush leaves office.

Well, nothing in life is free. Almost only counts with hand grenades and horse shoes. For certian aplies to taxes and death. What else does one want?

A little off topic but i liked this quote:

I know of no safe depository of the ultimate powers of the society but the people themselves; and if we think them not enlightened enough to exercise their control with a wholesome discretion, the remedy is not to take it from them but to inform their discretion.
-Thomas Jefferson

Our country is now taking so steady a course as to show by what road it will pass to destruction, to wit: by consolidation of power first, and then corruption, its necessary consequence.
-Thomas Jefferson

The second quote is why i am leaning more towards the liberitarian party right now. By shrinking the federal government, and giving more power to the states you are unconsolidating power.

So true...