Dept of Homeland Security - Savior or White-wash?

I want a new planet.

 

Here's another little blurb about Privacy concerns, reported by MSNBC yesterday:

Privacy groups are also concerned about provisions in the Homeland Security Act that shield certain information from public view.

For instance, the bill exempts information about critical infrastructure, such as power grids, water systems and computer networks, from the Freedom of Information Act. And there are ?overly broad? intelligence sharing provisions between the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies, the ACLU says.

The newly formed directorate for Information Analysis and Infrastructure Protection creates a powerful entity with increased information gathering capabilities, warns the Center for Democracy and Technology.

?The new department has no new collection authorities, but many of the components being consolidated into DHS have investigative and intelligence units,? the center says. ?There is no doubt that the new agency will have wiretap authority and other intrusive powers. The potential scope of this data gathering and analysis is enormous, and the potential abuse of privacy chilling.?