Panelists spoke about national security, the practice of data mining, and protection of individual privacy rights. Among the issues they addressed were the ineffectiveness of the practice, government use of information gained through data mining, and ways data had been used for intelligence and security purposes. Data mining is the process of sorting through large amounts of data and picking out relevant information. Kate Martin moderated the panel and questions. "A New Direction: Privacy Implications in Datamining" was the second panel of an event titled "A Path Forward: Constitutional Protections in Homeland Security". This series of roundtable discussions on the future of privacy, civil rights, and civil liberties at the Department of Homeland Security was hosted by the Majority Staff of the House Committee on Homeland Security in Cannon House Office Building.