Uncovering the Controversial Practice of Private Bank Transaction Surveillance using Politically Charged Keywords
14 min readThe recent revelation that the Biden administration has confirmed the use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches has sparked a heated debate among Americans regarding privacy, constitutional rights, and government overreach. This practice, which began under the Trump administration, has raised concerns about the potential misuse of financial data and the targeting of individuals based on their political beliefs.
The letter from the Treasury Department to Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., reveals that terms such as “MAGA,” “Trump,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Schumer,” and “Pelosi” were used in these searches. This marks the first time the Biden administration has acknowledged the use of such keywords, adding fuel to the controversy.
The use of these keywords in private bank transaction searches represents a significant violation of Americans’ privacy and a potential infringement on their constitutional rights. The Fourth Amendment protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures, and the use of politically charged keywords to flag customer profiles without a court order or subpoena is a clear violation of this amendment.
The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) provided materials to financial institutions instructing them to search and filter Americans’ financial data using keywords and search terms, as well as merchant category codes. These terms were used to identify persons of interest ahead of the Jan. 20, 2021, inauguration, weeks after the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protests.
The House Judiciary Committee obtained documents revealing that FinCEN warned financial institutions that an “extremism indicator” could be “the purchase of books (including religious texts),” like the Bible, and subscriptions to certain media “containing extremist views.” This further highlights the potential for misuse of financial data and the targeting of individuals based on their political beliefs and reading materials.
The sources familiar with the situation have revealed that the search terms, like “MAGA” and “Trump,” were generated by a bank and used to help them identify suspicious transactions when reviewing customer transactional information. FinCEN then shared those terms with other banks to help them comply with their own suspicious activity reports. However, beyond the terms identified by the House Judiciary Committee, the unnamed bank generated other terms, which FinCEN shared with other banks. These additional terms included “White Power,” “Camp Auschwitz,” “Antifa,” “Proud B,” “Storm, the,” “Capitol,” “Groyper Army,” “Threepers,” “boogaloo,” “civil war,” “last sons,” “kill,” “shoot,” “gun,” “death,” “murder,” “Biden,” “Kamala,” “Pelosi,” “Schumer,” and “Pence.”
The implications of this practice are far-reaching and raise serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The use of politically charged keywords to flag customer profiles without due process or a court order is a clear violation of Americans’ constitutional rights and privacy.
Sen. Tim Scott, in a letter to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, demanded answers from the Department and FinCEN regarding this practice, stating that it represents a flagrant violation of Americans’ privacy and the improper targeting of U.S. citizens for exercising their constitutional rights without due process.
The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, which codified the FinCEN Exchange program to facilitate the sharing of data between law enforcement and financial institutions, was intended to combat crimes like money laundering and the financing of terrorism. However, the use of politically charged keywords to flag customer profiles for law enforcement raises concerns about the potential for misuse of this information and the targeting of individuals based on their political beliefs.
The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches.
In conclusion, the use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches represents a significant violation of Americans’ privacy and a potential infringement on their constitutional rights. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data. The targeting of individuals based on their political beliefs is a clear violation of their constitutional rights and must be addressed by the administration and Congress.
The American people deserve to know that their financial data is being used in a responsible and ethical manner, and the use of politically charged keywords to flag customer profiles for law enforcement without due process or a court order is a clear violation of their constitutional rights and privacy. The Biden administration must take immediate action to address this issue and restore trust in the financial system.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the use of financial data by the government. The American people deserve to know that their constitutional rights are being protected, and the use of these keywords represents a clear violation of those rights. The Biden administration must take immediate action to address this issue and restore trust in the financial system.
The implications of this practice are far-reaching and raise serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The use of politically charged keywords to flag customer profiles without due process or a court order is a clear violation of Americans’ constitutional rights and privacy. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must take immediate action to address this issue and restore trust in the financial system. The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches represents a significant violation of Americans’ privacy and a potential infringement on their constitutional rights. The American people deserve to know that their financial data is being used in a responsible and ethical manner, and the use of these keywords represents a clear violation of those rights. The Biden administration must take immediate action to address this issue and restore trust in the financial system.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the use of financial data by the government. The American people deserve to know that their constitutional rights are being protected, and the use of these keywords represents a clear violation of those rights. The Biden administration must take immediate action to address this issue and restore trust in the financial system.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that highlights the need for greater transparency and accountability in the use of financial data by the government. The American people deserve to know that their constitutional rights are being protected, and the use of these keywords represents a clear violation of those rights. The Biden administration must take immediate action to address this issue and restore trust in the financial system.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this practice and provide answers to the American people regarding the use of these keywords and the potential misuse of financial data.
The use of politically charged keywords in private bank transaction searches is a concerning development that raises serious questions about the role of the government in monitoring Americans’ financial transactions and the potential for misuse of this information. The American people have a right to know how their financial data is being used and whether their constitutional rights are being violated. The Biden administration must be transparent about this