Fergie's Tech Blog

Watch-Listed Fliers Can Sue, Appeals Court Rules

Ryan Singel writes on Threat Level:

Airline passengers on the government's no-fly list can sue the government to get their names removed, according to a federal appeals court ruling Monday that swept aside complicated judicial rules that insulated the government from lawsuits over the sprawling list of suspected terrorists.

The decision marks the first time that an individual has been allowed to use the court -- rather than a form mailed to a Homeland Security office -- to contest their inclusion in the nation's secret anti-terrorism database. In a recent interview, Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said such court reviews would destroy the watch lists and lead to another hijacking like 9/11. Those who continually run up against the list describe the experience of trying to figure out how to get off the list as Kafkaesque.

posted by Fergie @ 8/20/2008 12:37:00 PM