US government relied on far-right research group to add names to watchlist.
A Senate investigation has found that the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) may have used reports from a far-right research group, known for its controversial "counter-extremism" views, to put names on a secret watchlist. The investigation was led by Senator Rand Paul, who expressed concern that the TSA's watchlisting practices were being influenced by groups with extremist views.
The program in question is called the Program on Extremism, run by George Washington University. It has been criticized for its perceived bias against Arab and Muslim communities, which are frequent targets of government watchlisting efforts. The program's research has focused on threats from the Muslim Brotherhood and has been accused by some of "collaborating with anti-Muslim racists".
The investigation found that internal records suggested the TSA relied on the Program on Extremism's research to add names to its watchlists. Senator Paul is now exploring how this happened, including whether researchers were actively involved in nominating travelers for surveillance.
Critics have welcomed the investigation and expressed concerns about the potential misuse of extremist views by government agencies. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Muslim Public Affairs Council said that if the TSA used the Program on Extremism's reports as the only evidence, it would be a "scandal".
The investigation comes amid wider calls for reforms to the watchlisting system, which spans multiple agencies and includes hundreds of thousands of names in different databases. In January, a special government body called for revamping the main terrorist watchlist to make it easier for Americans to find out whether they are on it and to dispute their placement.
The TSA's "Quiet Skies" watchlist program was announced last year, and it has included figures such as former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who was trailed by federal air marshals after questioning Trump's election loss. The program aims to identify individuals who pose a threat to national security, but critics say it is often used to target specific groups.
The investigation into the Program on Extremism comes as part of efforts to increase transparency and accountability around government watchlisting practices.
A Senate investigation has found that the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) may have used reports from a far-right research group, known for its controversial "counter-extremism" views, to put names on a secret watchlist. The investigation was led by Senator Rand Paul, who expressed concern that the TSA's watchlisting practices were being influenced by groups with extremist views.
The program in question is called the Program on Extremism, run by George Washington University. It has been criticized for its perceived bias against Arab and Muslim communities, which are frequent targets of government watchlisting efforts. The program's research has focused on threats from the Muslim Brotherhood and has been accused by some of "collaborating with anti-Muslim racists".
The investigation found that internal records suggested the TSA relied on the Program on Extremism's research to add names to its watchlists. Senator Paul is now exploring how this happened, including whether researchers were actively involved in nominating travelers for surveillance.
Critics have welcomed the investigation and expressed concerns about the potential misuse of extremist views by government agencies. The American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Muslim Public Affairs Council said that if the TSA used the Program on Extremism's reports as the only evidence, it would be a "scandal".
The investigation comes amid wider calls for reforms to the watchlisting system, which spans multiple agencies and includes hundreds of thousands of names in different databases. In January, a special government body called for revamping the main terrorist watchlist to make it easier for Americans to find out whether they are on it and to dispute their placement.
The TSA's "Quiet Skies" watchlist program was announced last year, and it has included figures such as former US Representative Tulsi Gabbard, who was trailed by federal air marshals after questioning Trump's election loss. The program aims to identify individuals who pose a threat to national security, but critics say it is often used to target specific groups.
The investigation into the Program on Extremism comes as part of efforts to increase transparency and accountability around government watchlisting practices.
I'm so tired of these far-right research groups getting involved in our lives. The fact that a group with such questionable views was used by the TSA to add names to their watchlist is just ridiculous 
. Can't they see how this could be misused? And what's with all these secret watchlists anyway? It's like we're living in some dystopian novel 
. I mean, who gets put on one of these lists and why? The lack of transparency is just infuriating 
. We need to know more about these programs and how they're being run before they become even more of a nightmare for people who are already vulnerable 
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I'm not sure what's more concerning here - the fact that a far-right research group was used by the TSA to add names to their watchlist or the lack of transparency in the first place 
. I think we need to make sure that any research used by the government comes from credible sources and is reviewed by multiple experts before being added to such lists 
. This whole thing smells like a recipe for abuse, and we need to keep pushing for reforms to ensure our rights aren't trampled 
this is getting way too shady 
the TSA relying on some far-right research group to add names to their watchlist? it's a major red flag 
that could lead to innocent ppl gettin wrongly targeted 
i mean, who gets put on this list anyway? and what exactly does "counter-extremism" even mean? 
the fact that it's got links to anti-Muslim groups is just plain suspicious 
like what?! The US government relying on that super shady research group? Like, totally unacceptable 
. I'm all about national security and safety, but come on! Using reports from a far-right research group with extremist views to put names on the watchlist? That's just crazy 
. I mean, what if they're just targeting people of Middle Eastern descent or something? It's like, totally unacceptable 
And what about all the innocent people who are already on those lists? This is just a whole lot of red tape (no pun intended) and it needs to stop ASAP 
. And I think that American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and the Muslim Public Affairs Council are totally right in saying that if the TSA used reports from that research group as evidence, it's a scandal 
The fact that they're using someone like the Program on Extremism, which has been accused of having anti-Muslim bias, is really worrying. I mean, what if people from certain communities are being unfairly targeted just because of their background? 
. I mean, what even is the Program on Extremism? Sounds like some sketchy stuff to me 
. The fact that it has been criticized for its bias against Arab and Muslim communities is no joke 
like what kinda security threat do extremists pose? sounds like fishy business to me... been noticing how many ppl on these watchlists are just random people being surveilled because of their name or background... need more transparency, stat! 
. It feels like a perfect storm of potential misuses and biases. And what's with the "Quiet Skies" program? Is it really necessary to track down people who might be innocent just because they spoke out against Trump or something? That just seems like entrapment to me.
. The American public deserves to know what's going on behind closed doors, especially when it comes to their own safety and security.
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And what's with the Quiet Skies program anyway? It just seems like a way to profile and surveillance people for no good reason. 
And Senator Paul is totally right to be investigating this... it's time for some serious accountability, imo! 