The Trump administration has, for the first time ever, built a searchable national citizenship data system.

The tool, which is being rolled out in phases, is designed to be used by state and local election officials to give them an easier way to ensure only citizens are voting. But it was developed rapidly without a public process, and some of those officials are already worrying about what else it could be used for.

NPR is the first news organization to report the details of the new system.

For decades, voting officials have noted that there was no national citizenship list to compare their state lists to, so to verify citizenship for their voters, they either needed to ask people to provide a birth certificate or a passport — something that could disenfranchise millions — or use a complex patchwork of disparate data sources.

  • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    2
    arrow-down
    6
    ·
    2 days ago

    What happens if someone is illegitimately removed from this database? How can you show whether it was a glitch, or deliberate? How do you know if the information they have about you is even right, or get it changed if you need to? Where’s the accountability?

    Database logs and procedural logs is how you know.

    If you move state etc you would update your details with the government, just like you already should be doing.

    • voracitude@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      4
      arrow-down
      2
      ·
      1 day ago

      “illegitimately” is the key word there. I’m not interested in what you think happens if everything is working as intended, or your poor reading comprehension. F-, rewrite your answer and address the question or you’ll fail the class and be held back a grade.

      • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        2
        arrow-down
        4
        ·
        17 hours ago

        “illegitimately” is the key word there. I’m not interested in what you think happens if everything is working as intended, or your poor reading comprehension

        Oh the irony. Database and procedural logs are automatic and extensive, that’s why I mentioned them. No amount of “illegitimate” actions would sidestep them. Go back to school.

        • voracitude@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          3
          arrow-down
          1
          ·
          edit-2
          3 hours ago

          Logs, eh? You know those are just text files, right? And how do you plan to get access to them to prove any kind of mistake or malfeasance, exactly?

          • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.au
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            1
            arrow-down
            1
            ·
            1 hour ago

            Well no, they’re not just text files lol.

            You’re basically saying that everyone that can have anything to do with the database and systems around it are corrupt and working together. That’s a ridiculous conspiracy theory.

            • voracitude@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              English
              arrow-up
              1
              ·
              edit-2
              15 minutes ago

              You’re basically saying that everyone that can have anything to do with the database and systems around it are corrupt and working together.

              No, just the person in charge has to order it. People do what their bosses tell them. Rules and procedures don’t matter if the people in charge ignore them. And again, you’re not getting access to any of the data we’re talking about in the first place, because the government would have to grant that access, and you’re not a person as far as they’re concerned in this scenario. What organisations have you worked for that would just give out information to a person they can’t verify the identity of?

              That’s a ridiculous conspiracy theory.

              No, it’s happening now in the US. You seem woefully under-informed to be trying to comment on current affairs. Maybe stick to your own country until you’re up to speed.