A Florida counterterrorism database is raising questions over the balance between personal privacy and homeland security. The Multistate Anti-Terrorism Information Exchange (MATRIX) system is the most recent government tool that pushes the envelope for the amount and type of information on individuals that the government uses. Florida-based Seisint Inc. developed and then donated the MATRIX system to the state. The system combines a number of databases that include information such as criminal histories, driver’s license data, vehicle registration records, photographs, and significant amounts of personal information. At least 135 police agencies in Florida have signed up for the Department of Law Enforcement database service and 12 other states have joined a coalition to develop network support across state lines. A number of civil liberties and public interest groups have expressed concern about government snooping and abuse of the database because the information is easy and quick to access. A senior official involved with MATRIX confirmed these concerns. “It’s scary. It could be abused. I mean, I can call up everything about you, your pictures and pictures of your neighbors.” Similar projects recently faced public and congressional criticism. Congress severely cut the budget for the Pentagon’s domestic surveillance program, Total Information Awareness (TIA), eventually renamed Terrorism Information Awareness, which may face total shutdown. Critics believed the program could utilize too much personal information. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently published a revised rule for the Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II), which screens passengers before boarding planes, after backlash from privacy advocates. The new rule eliminates controversial provisions allowing the government to maintain detailed records on individuals for up to 50 years. At times, the strong push to increase homeland security threatens liberties guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution. It is unclear at this point how privacy concerns and possible abuses of MATRIX will be addressed, and what the likelihood is for its expansion outside of Florida. In a possible end-run around Congress’ expressed disapproval for such a program, the Justice Department has donated $4 million to the state-developed MATRIX system and Department of Homeland Security pledged another $8 million.