A bill passed Friday by the U.S. House of Representatives killed a Bush administration plan to use truckers and others to keep an eye out for suspicious, terrorist-related activities.

Operation TIPS (Terrorism Information and Prevention System) was announced less than two weeks ago as part of a 90-page updated strategy for homeland security. The program would have recruited truckers, bus drivers, railroad conductors, mail carriers, local utility repairmen and others. A Justice Department spokesperson said trucking and other industries have requested a uniform method of reporting suspicious activities to the authorities.
However, the program drew heavy fire from civil liberties interests, drawing comparisons to Orwell’s “1984” and to Nazi Germany. The American Civil Liberties Union said the program would encourage “government-sanctioned peeping toms.” As a result, the Homeland Security Bill passed last week prohibits programs such as Operations TIPS.