From: Rafal Smigrodzki (rms2g@virginia.edu)
Date: Fri Jul 26 2002 - 15:30:27 MDT
Harvey Newstrom wrote:
What we are trying to decide is if
grandma's bag can be allowed to receive less security screening based on
the assumption that it cannot be used to carry a bomb.
### Well, no. I wanted to discuss the issue of profiling and I am under the
impression this was indeed the subject here, not merely baggage. If you
peruse my recent posts, you will find that I at least twice mentioned that
grandmas baggage should be checked, too. Please do not imply that I made
claims to the contrary.
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On that
assumption you are dead wrong.
### I am not wrong. I never made the assumption you mention here.
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> Unless you define what you mean by profiling I will drop this subject.
As your topic line suggests, profiling is "group based judgment".
Profiling is when you have missing information about a person, such as
background checks or organizational ties. You then pull group-based
information from a profile to fill in the missing information. You then
have a partly fictionalized record for the person that may or may not be
accurate. You then feed this "information" to others so that they can
make security decisions based it. Making security decisions on profile
information instead of actual information is called profiling.
Profiling is a standard technique developed by the FBI to develop
"profiles" for people when actual information is not known.
### What is the difference between "actual information" and a "profile"? Is
gender "actual" or "profile"? (this is an important question)
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Maintaining accurate records on people containing verified facts and no
guesses is NOT profiling. The "profiles" maintained by El Al are
accurate individual records. They do not use "profiling" or "group
based judgment". Developing a database on a person, using background
checks, clearance investigations, credit reports, police reports, and
other actual records is NOT profiling. The "profile" here is an
accurate record and not a projected probably "profile".
### What is the difference between the credit report in El Al database
(which you say is not "profile" but "actual"), and a previous history of
ticket purchases in CAPS? Are they substantially different? As I see it, El
Al is doing profiling - which in my vocabulary is the collection of
statistical data, which are then used to refine the analysis of personal
information about a subject (not supplant it).
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Again, I must ask. Why are some people pushing so hard for group-based
judgments?
### Because it works, at least if you use the phrase as I do.
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Don't we agree that screening all bags would be best?
### OK, I'll say it again - yes, screening all bags would be best.
Rafal
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