Rogers worked at “a federal contractor that designed civilian surveillance programs” that “infringe[d] on personal privacy rights” and looked into “scraping personal data from mobile devices”
LANSING — American Journal News has reported that Mike Rogers worked for Mitre, “a federal contractor that designed civilian surveillance programs and pushed for right-wing social policies,” including pushing ineffective, anti-choice “abstinence-only programs.”
The story notes that “when Rogers joined Mitre it was working on one of its most infamous projects: developing technology that could lift fingerprints from photos posted on social media” which was called out by the ACLU and other human rights organizations for “infring[ing] on personal privacy rights.” Mitre also “did research into scraping personal data from mobile devices.”
When Rogers was at Mitre, the company “received a… controversial contract” to “help push abstinence-only programs” which have been proven to “not [be] effective.” Rogers’ campaign refused to “answer questions concerning Rogers’ stance on abstinence-only programs.”
Read American Journal News’ reporting of Rogers’ work at an organization that “infringe[d] on personal privacy rights:”
American Journal News: Michigan Republican Mike Rogers worked for organization that threatened privacy rights
- Former Rep. Mike Rogers, who is running in the Republican primary for Michigan’s open U.S Senate seat, worked for a federal contractor that designed civilian surveillance programs and pushed for right-wing social policies.
- From 2016 to 2023, Rogers was on the board of trustees of the Mitre Corporation, a non-profit that conducts federally funded research and advises government agencies.
- Rogers was vice chairman of the Mitre Corporation’s board from 2019 to 2021 and served as its director in 2023. Rogers launched his senate campaign in September 2023.
- In 2020, Forbes reported that Mitre received between $1 billion and $2 billion in federal funds every year. The bulk of Mitre’s work is studies focused on national security and government efficiency.
- When Rogers joined Mitre it was working on one of its most infamous projects: developing technology that could lift fingerprints from photos posted on social media.
- …Lawyers at the ACLU and other human rights organizations said it could infringe on personal privacy rights.
- “Nobody expects that by posting a digital photo online, they are exposing their unique biometric identifiers including their fingerprints, to collection in a law enforcement database,” Nate Wessler, staff attorney at the ACLU Speech, Privacy and Technology Project, told Forbes.
- Mitre also did research into scraping personal data from mobile devices.
- Rogers said the FBI’s repeated disregard for privacy rights and the Fourth Amendment had led to a loss of public trust. He did not comment on how Mitre’s work may have contributed to this erosion.
- Mitre received another controversial contract during Rogers’ tenure. The Trump White House awarded Mitre $21.5 million in 2018 for a “teen pregnancy prevention study.” The stated goal of the study was to develop “medically accurate and age appropriate programs that reduce teen pregnancy.”
- In December 2018, Senate Democrats wrote a letter raising concerns that the Mitre contract was intended to help push abstinence-only programs.
- “By attempting to direct funding in accordance with ideological goals, rather than towards the development of evidence-based practices, the Trump-Pence administration is undoing years of progress towards supporting adolescent sexual and reproductive health and wellbeing,” the letter stated.
- A 2017 study by Columbia University found abstinence focused programs were not effective in curbing unwanted teen pregnancies. Similar findings were produced by a Kaiser Family Foundation study in 2018 and a National Institute of Health study in 2011.
- A Rogers campaign spokesperson… did not answer questions concerning Rogers’ stance on abstinence-only programs.
###
