Thursday, November 14, 2013

Surveillance: Invasion of privacy or a necessity for safety?

By Olivia Ritchie


The 2013 Freedom House’s survey of Freedom on the Net revealed some interesting information between May 2012 and April 2013. The United States has dropped from second place early 2012 to fourth place mid 2013 in digital rights. This is due to widespread speculation regarding an increase in internet surveillance by the US government, specifically the National Security Agency (NSA). This speculation is rooted in the release of classified NSA material by Edward Snowden earlier this year. He exposed details about the government’s mass surveillance programs but he claims his “sole motive for leaking the documents was to inform the public as to that which is done in their name and that which is done against them”. He was challenging the government on their balance between citizen protection and citizen privacy.

Freedom on the Net Visual: http://www.freedomhouse.org/report-types/freedom-net

Internet firms responded to Snowden’s information in many ways. Some firms shut down their email service in order to develop a new program that transmitted emails pre-scrambled allowing only the recipient to view the message. Google is utilizing a new form of encryption, converting information into a code, to make it more difficult for any potential spies. Yahoo and Twitter plan to follow. These are just a few of the efforts to ward off any potential invasive spying.

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) provides statistics supporting Snowden’s controversial argument that the government has gone too far. They report “certain phone-tapping procedures have increased by 60 percent between 2009 and 2011, and the surveillance of email and other Internet data has been authorized in court by an increase of 361 percent during the same span”. Due to quickly developing technology it is now possible to tap phone wires without the use of hard equipment making it much easier to gain access to information. The ACLU has gathered proof from the US Justice Department that these technologies are being utilized by the US government.

Soon after the Edward Snowden’s leak to The Guardian Obama addressed the American public in attempts to cease the speculation. He acknowledged the excess of phone records being collected and the limited oversight on the country’s data collection programs and his plans to work with congress to reform these issues. Obama also argued that a high strength of surveillance is necessary to monitor terrorist plots, catch hackers, and “America is not interested in spying on ordinary people”.

Obama Defends NSA Spying: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZOajMkkCjI

Is such strong surveillance necessary for public safety? Is the government too invasive of its citizens? With the growing dependence on technology it is fair to say government surveillance may be necessary for proper protection of the American people. However, as a democratic nation we have allowed citizens the right to privacy and it is, by law, required that government programs do not cross that line. A big reason for the speculation is a result of poor communication by the government. The practices of the NSA should not have been so hidden from the American public. Once Congress properly reforms the laws involving the activities of the NSA it is important to properly inform. For the purpose of protecting the United States it is clear some information must remain hidden, however, surveillance should be publicly addressed.


Sources:

http://www.usnews.com/news/articles/2013/08/09/obama-announces-reforms-to-nsa-spy-program
http://rt.com/usa/us-surveillance-pen-trap-145/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Snowden

2 comments:

  1. This topic seems to have massive effects not only on the amount of money that the government spends on these spying efforts, but it almost certainly helps to curb illegal activities in the economy; such as insider trading and stolen good sales. Does the amount of crime and illegal activity stopped exceed the amount of money that the government spends on spying? How much does our personal security cost?

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  2. This issue has a massive effect on the amount of money that the government spends on everything for spying. America is already so far in debt. We grow further and further into debt daily. This is extra money that America doesn't have to spend. Plus, it is wrong for America to even spy on its citizens. There are way more people in America that are law abiding citizens then the criminals. If there is suspicion of someone doing something illegal then the government might have reason to look into them.

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