Are you a terrorist?

[Banquo's Ghost]

A software company is giving you the chance to check out if you are a terrorist - and amend you flight plans accordingly. The free web site apparently checks if your name is likely to be flagged by the US government's Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) which runs the No-fly list.

This Ghost is clean - which is more than can be said for George Bush.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

George Bush fingered as terrorist by US feds ...
Well, maybe
By Lewis Page
Published Wednesday 14th March 2007 17:22 GMT


A Texas-based software company is offering a free tool allowing web users to check the likelihood of a particular name being flagged up by US government's Transportation Safety Administration (TSA), the body which operates the infamous "No Fly" list.

Lists of terrorist names have circulated widely in recent months, and it has also been reported by the Washington Post among others that various US agencies use the Soundex algorithm to assess names. Soundex-based software can be used to search a list of names – for example, an airline passenger list – and throw up possible matches. For example, "Osama" might be read by Soundex to match against "Osama", "Osamu" or "Osman." Thus, if any of those three names appeared on a passenger list – especially in combination with a surname such as "bin Laden" or "Binladen" the chance of the feds taking an interest would be high.

Engineers at S3 Matching Technologies have put together their own Soundex-based engine and loaded in "a compilation of the best available data regarding suspected and known terrorists. Publicly available terrorist names from various reliable government and non-governmental sources were merged to create a comprehensive list." They claim that their website list is constantly updated, just like the TSA's. Users can put in any name they like. If both first and last names throw up a red terrorist-related connection, S3 reckon there's a sporting chance that an individual with that name will be on the TSA's Watch List.

S3 are providing this service so as to publicise their alternative to Soundex, a proprietary system called TeraMatch. S3 naturally consider their kit to be much more accurate and less likely to throw up false positives.

El Reg has naturally tested a few obvious names on the site. Ones which throw up a both-names indication of terrorist links include "George Bush", "Tony Blair," and interestingly, "Gordon Brown", Britain's chancellor of the exchequer. Names which seem to be in the clear include "Oliver North" and "Hugo Chavez".

Either the terrorist conspiracy has gone deeper than anyone could have thought, or the American feds have gone loco, or perhaps the S3 guys are over-egging the pudding just a tad. Maybe all of the above.

The website is here. Have fun, but you're probably being watched.

[ShadeHonestus]

I'm clean and my name is MaBauls Eshari I mean Dan Smith


The real threats are listed here.

[Csargo]

Names which seem to be in the clear include "Oliver North" and "Hugo Chavez".

My first name is being watched. But my last is chillin in the back.

[BDC]

A terrorist called "John Smith" would make a mockery of the entire thing.

[ajaxfetish]

Look out! I've got 4 hits on my last name, and 1 on my first (5 if I use a shortened version). Whether or not I change my flight plans, you should probably make sure you're not on the same plane . . . just to be safe.

Ajax

edit: re: BDC: John Smith and John Doe both throw up red flags!

[Big King Sanctaphrax]

It must be really annoying to actually be called John Smith/Doe, depending on whether you're in the states or Britain. No-one would believe you when you told them your name.

[ShadeHonestus]

It must be really annoying to actually be called John Smith/Doe, depending on whether you're in the states or Britain. No-one would believe you when you told them your name.

Yeah people could rechannel all the angst of getting pregnant into punishing their child by naming him John Doe or John Smith instead of aborting...

[Tribesman]

No matter which of the names I use , even some I havn't used for years , they all come up as matched in both reds on that site .
They have me well and truly covered
Luckily ( unless a funeral crops up ) my next trip over there is going to be by ship , so they can stuff their no-fly list

[ajaxfetish]

Just beware the no-sail list.

Ajax

[Tribesman]

Just beware the no-sail list.

Nah no need . Just tried another name and it got no matches in either column.
Time for yet another passport methinks

[Husar]

My first name got three red flags.

MARILYN
MARLIN
MERLON

are apparently terrorist names and my name is the same as that of a famous actor who is dead for about a year or so and played a famous mafioso.
But seriously, can they be as stupid as to go by such lists?
Then again, having a personal watchdog who will make sure nothing happens around me can't be that bad either.

[Devastatin Dave]

Am I a terrorist (damn, havin a hard time styping, too drunk I guess, maybe edite later) I'm a terrorist of love!!! Prepar for my suicide bomb of liquid refreshment!!!

[Marshal Murat]

Hillary Clinton wasn't on there.



I'm going to petition

Obama doesn't set off any alarums.

Osama Binadin didn't worry them.

My first name is suspicious though.

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()
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Big Brother Is watching.

[Papewaio]

Neither my first or my surname even appeared on the list... only could go for closest matches.

Meh.

[Gregoshi]

I'm in the clear but my passport photo sure makes me look like a terrorist.

[naut]

The real threats are listed here.

I hate SNL, it's not funny.

[Philippus Flavius Homovallumus]

I got flagged twice for first name and once for second. I'll take a boot. Although to be honest the J-walking thing has put me off for the moment.

[Sasaki Kojiro]

5 for first name and 1 for last name...



"George Bush" gets bunches of red matches

[Decker]

I got 4 and my brother got 11 lol. Sucks to be him

[ShadeHonestus]

I hate SNL, it's not funny.

thats not a white flag, its a tissue.

[spmetla]

Only a similar spelling for my first name Erik turn anything up and then my dad's first name Michael was the only one with a direct match. I still think I've been randomly searched too many times though.

[Ja'chyra]

2 flags for me but only for similar names not exact matches, looks like not all ex-presidents are on the list.

This kind of thing makes a bit of a mockery of Americans calling Britain a nanny state though.

[Rilder]

I'm only a terrorrist if i'm naked?


My name got a couple matches

[Kanamori]

So, how do they make these things?

Or is my name going to be put on it now?

[English assassin]

LOL. I choose EA as my username here in honour of the great Jerry Cornelius, the English Assassin in a rather druggy set of books by Micheal Moorcock.

Amongst Mr Cornelius's activities is resisting the American occupation, sorry, "military assistance" of the UK in a scenario that was no doubt at the time intended to parallel Vietnam but nowadays parallels Iraq. As well as taking large amounts of drugs and having sex with almost everyone he meets, Jerry puts his needle gun to work in the service of a shadowy resistance organisation.

Imagine my delight to find that Jerry Cornelius is on the no fly list.

You'll have to excuse me now, I have to see whether professor Moriarty and Ernst Blofeld are on there too.

[Vidar]

so bryan adams might be a terrorist. cool

[Adrian II]

Seven red flags here. Osama bi Laden has only four.

Oh sweet. My editor-in-chief might as well forget about flying fo the rest of his natural life. He got nine flags.

Wait.. he wouldn't be.. you now.. ?

Or would he?..

[Kanamori]

Turn him in, turn 'em all in!

Oh yeah, no more terrorists, we're O.K.

[ShadeHonestus]

Wait.. he wouldn't be.. you now.. ?

Another Ron Jeremy look-a-like? maybe...

[Adrian II]

Another Ron Jeremy look-a-like? maybe...

Not anymore!!!