Government Surveillance
Government Surveillance
Imagine a world where your every move was being monitored. A dark world where it is no secret who you are, where you have been and who you associate with; now include who you love, who you pray to and what you just ate for dinner. The word privacy doesn’t exist in such world and it is such world that we are heading to.“Big Brother is watching you!” This quote by George Orwell couldn’t have been truer. Every aspect of our lives is being sorted through as Big Data this very moment. Government surveillance has prevailed by the name of security. But, is government surveillance of internet digital communications like social networks, cell phone calls, text messages, and emails really a public service of security? Or is it simply a form of short-term security with long-term dangerous effects to the freedom of the public? How much are we willing to give up in the name of so called security? I believe that the issue of government surveillance of the internet and digital devices is a very important and relevant issue in the current day where more and more, both young and old, are logging in to social media sites, buying cell phones, and depending on services like email and “in the cloud” storage. The government’s exploitation of Internet and digital data is slowly chipping away at our privacy, our civil rights and the future of democracy itself. This issue doesn’t only affect my own privacy but also more than 75% of Americans that use the Internet.
Government surveillance by the NSA (National Security Agency) is not something new. It has been going on for decades, just without our knowledge. With the recent outbreaks and leaks about the secret surveillance programs, more and more Americans are arising with privacy questions. The most well-known and recent leaks have been from ex-CIA employee and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. It was his leaks that rattled the American community. “He succeeded beyond anything the journalists or Snowden
Imagine a world where your every move was being monitored. A dark world where it is no secret who you are, where you have been and who you associate with; now include who you love, who you pray to and what you just ate for dinner. The word privacy doesn’t exist in such world and it is such world that we are heading to.“Big Brother is watching you!” This quote by George Orwell couldn’t have been truer. Every aspect of our lives is being sorted through as Big Data this very moment. Government surveillance has prevailed by the name of security. But, is government surveillance of internet digital communications like social networks, cell phone calls, text messages, and emails really a public service of security? Or is it simply a form of short-term security with long-term dangerous effects to the freedom of the public? How much are we willing to give up in the name of so called security? I believe that the issue of government surveillance of the internet and digital devices is a very important and relevant issue in the current day where more and more, both young and old, are logging in to social media sites, buying cell phones, and depending on services like email and “in the cloud” storage. The government’s exploitation of Internet and digital data is slowly chipping away at our privacy, our civil rights and the future of democracy itself. This issue doesn’t only affect my own privacy but also more than 75% of Americans that use the Internet.
Government surveillance by the NSA (National Security Agency) is not something new. It has been going on for decades, just without our knowledge. With the recent outbreaks and leaks about the secret surveillance programs, more and more Americans are arising with privacy questions. The most well-known and recent leaks have been from ex-CIA employee and former NSA contractor Edward Snowden. It was his leaks that rattled the American community. “He succeeded beyond anything the journalists or Snowden