inTheLoo's Journal: Widespread Abuse of US Passport Data

Many sources are reporting the poor state of US passport data confidentiality and subsequent abuse. More than 127 million people have had their social security number and other sensitive information unaccountably leaked.

The review by the department's inspector general was ordered after revelations in March that State Department employees and contractors had accessed the files of presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, John McCain and Barack Obama.

The inspector general's report found a much broader problem. Investigators surveyed the records of 150 high-profile Americans ... The report said that the records of 127 of those people, or 85 percent, had been accessed a total of 4,148 times, strongly suggesting attempts at unauthorized access. Their names were not identified.

"The system is unable to protect itself," said one State Department official

20,500 people have access to the data but no record is kept of access and there is no alarm system for improper access such as snooping on neighbors. This undermines IRS and Social Security efforts.