Privatisation

The increased intelligence support required for the global war on terrorism has led to exponential growth in the private intelligence industry. The privatisation of intelligence has been particularly apparent in the USA, where public-private collaboration now permeates practically all parts of the national intelligence effort. This chapter seeks to understand what is the privatisation of intelligence, and why the USA has increasingly relied on the private sector to carry out core intelligence functions. An examination of the US case reveals the risks posed by the privatisation of intelligence and the need for governments to plan and control their reliance on the private sector