So whats your take on this??
It's mainly much ado about nothing. The regular ol' DOT Privacy Policy applies for consumers and dealers alike when you're at the cars.gov site. What Glen Beck shows is for dealers only, and for
only when they actually log on to the DOT CARS database system,
not the CARS Web site.
When they log into the database, they are no longer using a Web site, but are actually directly logged into a government database, just like any other government computer terminal. You are, for all intents and purposes, a portal to the database, a part of that database while logged on, but only while logged on. The part about tracking cookies and the government being able to reach into your computer at any time to grab files is a load of crap and she (the chick in the video) doesn't really know what she's talking about. (She'd really freak out if she knew the FBI and the NSA already monitors stuff at the backbone router level as it is.)
"This application provides access to the DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the U.S. Government."
Means exactly that. When you're logged on and are a part of the database, your computer is no different than any other government computer that is connected to the system.
This part of the EULA...
"Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, DoT, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign...."
...is on many government Web sites. (for example, go here:
https://tsajobs.tsa.dhs.gov/TSAJobs/Apply.aspx and scroll to the bottom). It means that if you log on to their computer system, whatever you do while on their system belongs to them and they have the right to monitor it as they see fit, same as any private business computer system that you might log onto via VPN. For example, I have access to the computer system at a large computer tech company, and whenever I'm logged on, my computer is their computer, because the interface is literally seamless.
The
authorized officials, both domestic and foreign, means that any activity you do that is illegal can and will be disclosed to law enforcement (mainly) and other agencies. They use "both domestic and foreign" to cover anyone from other countries to be prosecuted inside those countries. For example, if someone from England logs on and does something illegal, they will give the British authorities the information so that they can be prosecuted in England (because England has laws against that stuff, too).
Here's the EULA of the CARS System:
https://supplierpayments.esc.gov
This application provides access to the DoT CARS system. When logged on to the CARS system, your computer is considered a Federal computer system and is the property of the United States Government. It is for authorized use only. Users (authorized or unauthorized) have no explicit or implicit expectation of privacy.
Any or all uses of this system and all files on this system may be intercepted, monitored, recorded, copied, audited, inspected, and disclosed to authorized CARS, DoT, and law enforcement personnel, as well as authorized officials of other agencies, both domestic and foreign. By using this system, the user consents to such interception, monitoring, recording, copying, auditing, inspection, and disclosure at the discretion CARS or the DoT personnel.
Unauthorized or improper use of this system may result in administrative disciplinary action and civil and criminal penalties.
Unauthorized attempts to defeat or circumvent security features, to use the system for other than intended purposes, to deny service to authorized users, to access, obtain, alter, damage, or destroy information, or otherwise to interfere with the system or its operation are prohibited. Evidence of such acts may be disclosed to law enforcement authorities and result in criminal prosecution under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-474) and the National Information Infrastructure Protection Act of 1996 (Public Law 104-294), (18 U.S.C. 1030), or other applicable criminal laws.
Again, this is when you are logged into the CARS System, and not at the Web site. The Web site has a very, very different Privacy Policy.
