The NSF (National Science Foundation) is funding a project, entitled “Surveillance, Analysis and Modeling of Chatroom Communities “.

From the award abstract, it appears as though the researchers intend to develop an automated surveillance system that will collect data in Internet chatrooms to discover hidden groups in which possible terrorist activities might be discussed. The system would automatically determine who is chatting with whom as well as specific topics that are being discussed in chatrooms by specific chat room participants. Unfortunately, the abstract does not mention how the PIs will investigate the social impact of such technologies; nor does it mention how this technology may or may not violate the privacy of innocent chatroom participants.

As researchers it is critical for us to consider the broader impacts of our work on society, especially when creating technologies that can further erode what little remaining privacy public citizens can still claim.