The Dangerous Road to a “Master File”—Why Linking Government Databases Is a Terrible Idea

The Dangerous Road to a “Master File”—Why Linking Government Databases Is a Terrible Idea

A concerning development from the Trump administration has privacy advocates sounding alarm bells nationwide: a plan to consolidate data from dozens of government agencies into what would amount to a comprehensive “master file” on all American citizens. While proponents claim this massive data integration effort will help eliminate waste and fraud, the potential consequences for privacy rights, civil liberties, and national security are profound…