Trump’s Data Collection: Echoes of History’s Lists of “Undesirables”
The Trump administration’s data practices extend beyond suppressing information, focusing now on collecting and potentially weaponizing it against perceived adversaries. This includes demanding universities hand over lists of Jewish students under the guise of combating antisemitism, raising concerns about misuse. These actions echo a pattern of the administration sharing confidential records, such as tax and Social Security data, for purposes beyond their original intent. The consequences of these actions have the potential to damage trust in government agencies and diminish the quality of public data, which could affect the public’s willingness to comply with the law.
John Q. Hosedrinker