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What security benefit is there for this list being secret? Sure privacy may be an issue but I should have the right to know if I am on it as I see absolutely no

What security benefit is there for this list being secret? Sure privacy may be an issue but I should have the right to know if I am on it as I see absolutely not benefit if this list being secret other than the government having another reason to put people in jail. Also if you know you are on it you can save the airlines and everyone else a lot of trouble by not trying to fly in the first place. Does the list even state why you are on it?

capableweb 4y ago
I'm guessing the official position is something like "If a suspected terrorist know they are a suspected terrorist, their behavior might change in order to hide easier, and sometimes we put suspected terrorists on the no-fly list, so if they could see that, they could figure out we now suspect them of something.". But that's just a guess, maybe there are better reasons out there.
- skywhopper 4y ago
  And yet, if they are on the selectee list and get pulled for SSSS screening every time they fly, they'll probably know.
  - naasking 4y ago
    If the list were public they could know this in advance though, and send someone who hasn't yet been flagged and so attacks would be harder to thwart. This is only hypothetical though, and given the size of the list I'm skeptical it's all that reliable to begin with.
  - capableweb 4y ago
    Maybe they handle it the same as if you trigger the anti-fraud system for the various IT companies ie they don't tell you anything but "I'm sorry but we cannot accept payments from you and I can't tell you why". To be honest, the whole thing sounds like a farce, just trying to get some understanding from perspective I don't myself hold.
- sschueller 4y ago
  So airlines actually make the effort to contact the authorities when someone on the list tries to book a flight? Are we sure they do this?
Spivak 4y ago
Good Faith: Bad guys would know to find someone different if they knew who could and couldn't fly. Bad Faith: Fear. You better stay in line or one day you'll be trying to get on a flight and suddenly can't. It's your "permanent record" for adults. Bad Faith: Accountability. Not having it exposed means the gov't can pretty much put anyone on there for any reason without having to worry about silly "public pressure" and "questions about why so many middle-eastern people are on it." You know the ACLU would be all up on that list researching every single person on it and calling them on their bullshit.

capableweb 4y ago

I'm guessing the official position is something like "If a suspected terrorist know they are a suspected terrorist, their behavior might change in order to hide easier, and sometimes we put suspected terrorists on the no-fly list, so if they could see that, they could figure out we now suspect them of something.". But that's just a guess, maybe there are better reasons out there.

skywhopper 4y ago
And yet, if they are on the selectee list and get pulled for SSSS screening every time they fly, they'll probably know.
- naasking 4y ago
  If the list were public they could know this in advance though, and send someone who hasn't yet been flagged and so attacks would be harder to thwart. This is only hypothetical though, and given the size of the list I'm skeptical it's all that reliable to begin with.
- capableweb 4y ago
  Maybe they handle it the same as if you trigger the anti-fraud system for the various IT companies ie they don't tell you anything but "I'm sorry but we cannot accept payments from you and I can't tell you why". To be honest, the whole thing sounds like a farce, just trying to get some understanding from perspective I don't myself hold.
sschueller 4y ago
So airlines actually make the effort to contact the authorities when someone on the list tries to book a flight? Are we sure they do this?

Spivak 4y ago

Good Faith: Bad guys would know to find someone different if they knew who could and couldn't fly. Bad Faith: Fear. You better stay in line or one day you'll be trying to get on a flight and suddenly can't. It's your "permanent record" for adults. Bad Faith: Accountability. Not having it exposed means the gov't can pretty much put anyone on there for any reason without having to worry about silly "public pressure" and "questions about why so many middle-eastern people are on it." You know the ACLU would be all up on that list researching every single person on it and calling them on their bullshit.