The White House "fishy information" database

Barak Obama's recent tweet linked to a page with in interesting request:

There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.

In addition to being sort of creepy, there is some possibility that this type of data gathering by the administration is illegal.

I'd say there are glaring Privacy Act violations here. And the penalties, per §552a(i) include fines of up to $5,000, not only for gathering forbidden data, but for disclosing it or maintaining an undisclosed system.

But it may be that the White House data base would not be covered by the Privacy Act like other government agencies. Records collected by the White House are apparently not covered under Freedom of Information, and may fall under a requirement that they be kept permanently. Unintended (probably) Consequences:

A secret and more or less permanent dissident database--in America! That's quite an accomplishment for an administration still in its seventh month. It seems longer, somehow.

Thought: On of Roger L. Simon's commenters (linked above) suggested flooding flag@whitehouse.gov with respectful, thoughtful suggestions. If these go into a permanent database, they could be instructive for future historians.

6 days later: Administration not backing away. But where's the transparency? Where's the ACLU?

Update: The White House finally took down flag@whithouse.gov after questions like those above, and publicity like this video.