The program, created by the Arizona state Attorney General's office in 2014, tracks money transfers between the U.S. and over 20 countries.
TRAC Program Overview
The Transaction Record Analysis Center (TRAC) was created to confront the "trafficking of drugs and people from Mexico" through a settlement with Western Union. However, it has since expanded to allow "600 law-enforcement entities" unlimited oversight of money transfers within the United States and internationally. TRAC documents the full names of both the sender and recipient and the total amount of the transfer.
Concerns Over TRAC
The program allows agencies to "serve themselves an all-you-can-eat-buffet of Americans' financial data while bypassing the normal protections for American Privacy," according to Senator Ron Wyden. Additionally, any authorized law-enforcement agency can query the data without a warrant, and the program's data can be used to scan for categories such as "Middle Eastern/ Arabic names."
Conclusion
TRAC bypasses the normal due process and oversight expected from government investigations. To obtain bank records, law enforcement must show relevant documents and acquire a subpoena or warrant. This U.S. Surveillance program undermines the privacy rights of American citizens.
