NASA Requires JPL Scientists To Give Up Right to Privacy

Slashdot notes an article in WIRED magazine's Science blog about 28 NASA scientists at the Jet Propulsion Lab going to court to fight for their right to privacy. The fight is against Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12), issued by President Bush in August 2004, wherein all federal amployees and contractors must "voluntarily" sign a form that allows the government to investigate them "without limit" for two years - even if they leave government work altogether during that time. JPL employees would be terminated immediately if they don't sign the form.

The Union for Concerned Scientists has submitted briefs in support of the plaintiffs, e.g.,

UCS [Union of Concerned Scientists] is concerned that the background investigations proposed by NASA are wide-ranging, highly personal, and unwarranted in light of the unclassified and non-sensitive nature of the Plaintiffs' work. While the investigations purportedly are intended to verify the Plaintiff's identities...in fact the subjects covered by the investigations include a host of irrelevant and personal issues, including credit history, "personality conflict," physical and mental health and sexual orientation.

See complete article in WIRED .