Category: Declassification

Speaking at the Schriever Space Futures Forum on November 20, 2020, Gen. John Hyten, Vice Chairman of the Joint Staff, argued that the over-classification of space information by the Department of Defense (DOD) delays the appropriate information sharing required to partner with U.S. allies and industry, and to deter adversaries in space. At the recent … Continue reading Gen. Hyten Finds Over-classification of Space Information Undermines National Security, Promises Reform

The Board would like to thank Acting Chairman Marco Rubio (R-FL), Vice Chairman Mark Warner (D-VA), and members of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) for their invitation to testify yesterday (September 9, 2020) at the open hearing on “Declassification Policy and Prospects for Reform.”    At the hearing, PIDB Member John Tierney responded … Continue reading SSCI Members Embrace Need for Declassification Reform, Discuss PIDB Recommendations at Senate Hearing

On his way to becoming the new Commander of the U.S. Space Command (USSPACECOM), Lt. Gen. James Dickinson discussed the problem of over-classification in space operations at his confirmation hearing on July 28, 2020, before the Senate Armed Services Committee. In his testimony, Lt. Gen. Dickinson called for “a review of classification for collection data … Continue reading Confirmation Testimony of New U.S. Space Force Commander Reiterates Concerns about Over-classification in Space, Calls for Review

At an industry-sponsored webinar on Wednesday, August 12, officials from the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the National Geospatial Agency (NGA) discussed how during the current COVID-19 pandemic their agencies: “innovate and deploy new technologies and methodologies to drive digital transformation for efficiency and cost savings.” La’Naia Jones, acting Chief Information … Continue reading ODNI, NGA Officials Tout Modernization During the Current Pandemic

By requiring the Secretary of Defense to implement machine readable and electronically transferable DD-214s (Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty) by December 31, 2023, the Fiscal Year 2020 (FY 2020) National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) supports digital transformation as recommended by the Public Interest Declassification Board (PIDB). The PIDB continues to recommend digital transformation … Continue reading Forward Progress: Congress Requires DOD to Develop Machine Readable DD-214 Military Service Records by December 31, 2023

The Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) requires the Secretary of Defense to submit an unclassified “report on reducing the backlog in legally required historical declassification obligations of the Department of Defense” to the Armed Services Committees of the House and the Senate (P.L. 116-92, Sec. 1759). The report is due to these … Continue reading FY2020 NDAA Requires Pentagon Report on Declassification Backlog

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, officials from several Intelligence Community (IC) agencies and three offices within the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) will join in two public panels at NARA’s William G. McGowan Theater, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20408. Panelists will discuss issues concerning the recent past, current state, and future prospects … Continue reading Public Panels Scheduled Next Week to Discuss Priorities in Declassification Review

On February 25, 2020, the Wilson Center commemorated the 80th anniversary of the executions by Soviet intelligence forces of over 22,000 Polish prisoners in the Russian provinces of Smolensk, Kalinin, and Kharkiv in Ukraine. The prisoners represented a majority of Poland’s governing elite—military, police, and civil society leaders captured in 1939, when the Soviet Union … Continue reading Katyn Massacre Records Show Need to Prioritize Disclosure of Historical Information with Significant Public Interest

The need to accelerate deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) by executive branch agencies also requires the development and retention of human expertise, according to Dr. Deborah Frincke, Director of Research at the National Security Agency (NSA).  Speaking at the industry-sponsored media event “Accelerated AI: Shaping the Future of Government with Artificial Intelligence” (11/13/2018), in Washington, … Continue reading NSA Research Director Wants ‘Accelerated AI’ to Augment Human Analysis