“Can anyone think of an example of where such information was created, and the government was respectful of our rights and didn’t check it whenever they felt like it? Anyone?”
I’m not sure if this is exactly the sort of example you’re looking for, but if I recall, the Census Bureau refused to divulge personal information to the President, even when federal agents showed up at their office and threatened to arrest them. I may be misremembering though, because now I can’t find the story with a quick search. Perhaps someone else knows what I’m talking about.
“1980: Armed with a search warrant authorizing them to seize census documents, four FBI agents enter the Census Bureau’s Colorado Springs office. No confidential information is ever released because a census worker holds off the agents until her superiors resolve the issue with the FBI.”
Very cool! This is an interesting example because it shows the system protecting the information in at least one case, but also shows that yes the government damn well tried to get the information, despite it being an information source that was deeply important to protect—if census info leaked and it got out our ability to do a census would be crippled.
“Can anyone think of an example of where such information was created, and the government was respectful of our rights and didn’t check it whenever they felt like it? Anyone?”
I’m not sure if this is exactly the sort of example you’re looking for, but if I recall, the Census Bureau refused to divulge personal information to the President, even when federal agents showed up at their office and threatened to arrest them. I may be misremembering though, because now I can’t find the story with a quick search. Perhaps someone else knows what I’m talking about.
Found it.
https://www.census.gov/dmd/www/pdf/afs38.txt
“1980: Armed with a search warrant authorizing them to seize census documents, four FBI agents enter the Census Bureau’s Colorado Springs office. No confidential information is ever released because a census worker holds off the agents until her superiors resolve the issue with the FBI.”
Very cool! This is an interesting example because it shows the system protecting the information in at least one case, but also shows that yes the government damn well tried to get the information, despite it being an information source that was deeply important to protect—if census info leaked and it got out our ability to do a census would be crippled.
Census is explicitly prescribed in the Constitution. It is a very protected service which cannot be cancelled without a Constitution amendment.