The Obama administration’s financial spying plan, which if enacted will grant spy agencies access to US citizens’ finance data, is a shocking attack on personal freedom, independent journalist Charlie McGrath has told RT.
The planning document recently obtained by Reuters, dated March 4,
showed that the legislation is primarily aimed at targeting and
tracking terrorist cells, exposing money-laundering schemes,
tracing criminal syndicates and curbing corruption.
However, though the plan is still in its early stages, it has
sparked mass outrage with many calling it a cover for wide-ranging
surveillance net desired by the US government.
“Sold as an effort to stop international terror groups, the
proposed measure pushes us ever closer to a complete Orwellian
Police State where you are guilty without cause, evidence, or even
accusation,” McGrath, founder of Wide Awake News told
RT.
McGrath said the proposed law is in line with legislation like
the NDAA and PATRIOT Act, what he called an “ongoing assault on
liberty that has been implemented since 911.”
“The future of freedom seems quite clear,” McGrath
concluded.
At the same time, experts are skeptical that the legislation
would result in a significant increase in arrests of terrorist.
“But more citizens could end up being caught up in the financial
crosshairs,” Margaret Bogenrief, a founding partner of ACM
Partners financial advisory firm told RT.
The new plan will do little to keep America safe, while
potentially increasing, at least partially, the risk of an innocent
or wrongly profiled individual being caught in a misinterpretation
of their banking information, Bogenrief explained.
“The continued efforts to 'keep its citizens safe,' the US
government seems be to struggling to walk that line between
protection and invasion of American citizens’ privacy,”
Bogenrief said. “More citizens could end up being caught up in
the financial crosshairs.”
As financial institution are already over-reporting on
questionable activity, this new enforcement plan “almost
guarantees an abuse, whether intentional or not,” she
added.
The true tragedy of this plan is that it likely will not see a
significant increase in the number of arrests of high-profile
criminals, Bogenrief explained: “Truly sophisticated criminals –
whether they be members of organized crime, gangs, or terrorist
groups – will already have the structures and teams in place that
will assist these criminal groups in both skirting these rules and
avoiding prosecution.”
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.