Coalition Of Journalists News

SSI Concerns Continue

I recently expressed concern that the regulations promulgated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) on May 18, 2004 relating to Protection of Sensitive Security Information (SSI) are overbroad. Comments were received from some of my readers stating that the recent USCG Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular (NVIC) regarding Guidelines for Handling of SSI was not, as I asserted, SSI because the NVIC stated that USCG policy is that only USCG documents marked ‘SSI’ are actually SSI. I do not concur. Under the TSA regulations, which are controlling, SSI consists of a long list of information the disclosure of which would, in the opinion of TSA, be detrimental to the security of transportation.