Sunday, November 2, 2014

A Summary of the issue of Surveillance

“I took an oath to support and defend the Constitution, and I saw that the Constitution was being violated on a massive scale” - Edward Snowden

These words come from a newspaper article about a teleconference with the man who started the whole issue, Edward Snowden. In 2013, the "whistle blower" told the world about the actions of the US Government and specifically, the NSA. He told us that they are taking away our freedoms through the surveillance of innocent people's digital lives and supplied us with many files and papers to read, proving his claim. 

The issue is surveillance and the monitoring of our digital and internet based lives, and it is something that most Americans disapprove of. Some claim that this surveillance is needed because it could catch potential terrorists. They also claim that if companies have our private information, there is no reason the government shouldn't, as was supported by the Supreme Court in the case Smith v Maryland in 1979. With few options about how to control and regulate the internet, there is not much the government can do but break into our private lives (Cole).

On the other side, the protesters, mainly groups such as the ACLU and the Electronic Privacy Information Center, claim that the government can't violate our privacy and rights guaranteed in the 4th Amendment of the Constitution. They say it is a breach of power and it needs to be rectified. People are also pushing Congress to rein in the NSA through the enactment of laws and the White House to help tie down the programs. Everyone ultimately wants the government to help out and everyone wants the government to put a stop to this. The only way this can be done though, is if everyone stays together and keeps pushing. If we give up the fight for an instant, we will lose the "right to right to have a status update free from surveillance" (Renderos).

Hattem, Julian. "Snowden: NSA is 'setting fire' to Internet's future." Hill 11 Mar. 2014:                                     4. MasterFILE Premier. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.

COLE, DAVID. "Real NSA Reform Still Needed." Nation 298.6 (2014): 3-4. Legal Collection. Web.               2 Nov. 2014

Renderos, Steven. "They'll Be Watching You." Extra! 27.5 (2014): 11. Supplemental Index. Web. 2                 Nov. 2014.

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