What is a FBI watchlist?

What is an FBI Watchlist?

The FBI maintains various watchlists as part of its counterterrorism efforts to identify and track individuals who may pose a threat to national security. These lists support federal agencies, law enforcement, and foreign governments in screening and investigations.

The Terrorist Screening Database

The main watchlist is the Terrorist Screening Database (TSDB) managed by the FBI’s Terrorist Screening Center (TSC)^[1]. The TSDB contains information about individuals known or reasonably suspected of being involved in terrorist activities.

As of 2019, the TSDB included over 1 million identities of known or suspected terrorists^[2].

How the Watchlist is Used

The TSDB watchlist is used in several ways, including^[1]:

• Visa and passport screening by the State Department
• Border screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection
• Air passenger screening by the TSA
• Background checks for firearms purchases
• Screening by law enforcement agencies

This allows multiple agencies to coordinate their screening efforts using a unified watchlist.

Criteria for Inclusion

According to the FBI, individuals can be included in the TSDB based on^[3]:

• Reasonable suspicion of involvement with terrorism
• Misidentification with a watchlisted individual
• Information relevant to homeland security investigations

Mere ethnic, religious, or associational ties alone are not sufficient criteria for watchlisting.

Concerns About Misuse

Civil liberties groups have raised concerns about misuse and lack of due process with watchlists. Issues include^[4]:

• Inadequate transparency about watchlist processes
• Difficulty correcting wrongful inclusion
• Unjustified travel delays and harassment
• Overly broad criteria that encourages profiling

Reforms have been proposed to improve accuracy, provide redress, and update criteria.

Other FBI Watchlists

In addition to the main TSDB, the FBI maintains other watchlists such as^[5]:

• Violent Gang and Terrorist Organization File
• Violent Crime and Major Offenders File
• National Sex Offender Registry
• Bank Robbers Identification Files

These lists aid investigations into specific types of crimes and threats.

Conclusion

The FBI’s watchlists, especially the TSDB, are controversial but considered important for national security efforts. Proper use and oversight remains vital to protect civil liberties.

continue writig after I’s watchlists, especially the TSDB, are controversial but considered important for national security efforts. Proper use and oversight remains vital to protect civil liberties.

While the watchlist remains controversial, it continues to expand and be utilized by law enforcement and intelligence agencies. Some additional developments since 9/11:

• The watchlist has continued growing exponentially, with over 1.5 million people now included as of 2022.
• There is increased sharing and usage of the list, with over 1,000 private entities given access.
• The list’s criteria for inclusion remains broad and ambiguous, raising ongoing concerns about misuse and civil liberties.
• Technologies like facial recognition and data analytics are being used to strengthen identification of watchlisted individuals.
• Legal challenges have had limited success in reforming the redress process and increasing transparency.
• Watchlisting is being expanded beyond terrorism to include “known or suspected criminals” and gang members.

In the post-9/11 security state, the momentum remains strongly on the side of watchlisting as a preventative law enforcement tool. Meaningful reforms seem unlikely without significant public and political pressure. For now, the FBI watchlist continues growing as a ubiquitous, if controversial, component of the U.S. surveillance apparatus.