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Electronic surveillance and privacy
Surveillance in america
Essays on government surveillance
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When it comes to government electronic surveillance, we as a society have to ask questions. What is being monitored, what is considered private, and does this infringement upon my right to privacy? How long has this been going on and where will the line be drawn? One thing is certain, there are multiple ways that we are being monitored and we do not even know it. How much further will this go? The questions are endless. Government electronic surveillance is here whether we like it or not and it does more good than harm. How closely is “big brother” actually watching? How far will we go to keep America safe and at what cost? One final question we must ask is will we brush aside our arguments in order to be safe in today’s American society? Created quickly in wake of the terrorist attacks on America, The Department of Homeland Security is charged with protecting America from and responding to terrorist …show more content…
Most data and intelligence collected is then processed in what is called a fusion center. Fusion centers are essential points within the state and local government for the receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing of threat-related information between the federal government and state, local, tribal, territorial (SLTT) and private sector partners (“State and Major,” n.d.). This is all created under the guise of screening data in an effort of foiling terrorists plots before they are executed. This statement alone should help the average American sleep better at night. I feel that if Americans knew what dangers were actually going on within our country, many people would not want to walk out the front door of their homes or even take their pets outside. I partially believe that the ignorance to what is happening can be a good thing. I also feel that we should have a basic knowledge of the current threat level so we can be as prepared as possible in the event something does
Is the American government trustworthy? Edward Joseph Snowden (2013) released to the United States press* selected information about the surveillance of ordinary citizens by the U.S.A.’s National Security Agency (N.S.A.), and its interconnection to phone and social media companies. The motion picture Citizenfour (2014), shows the original taping of those revelations. Snowden said that some people do nothing about this tracking because they have nothing to hide. He claims that this inverts the model of responsibility. He believes that everyone should encrypt Internet messages and abandon electronic media companies that track personal information and Internet behavior (op.cit, 2014). Snowden also stressed to Lawrence Lessig (2014) the importance of the press and the first amendment (Lessig – Snowden Interview Transcript, [16:28]). These dynamics illustrate Lessig’s (2006) constrain-enable pattern of powers that keep society in check (2006, Code: Version 2.0, p. 122). Consider Lessig’s (2006) question what is “the threat to liberty?” (2006, p. 120). Terrorism is a real threat (Weber, 2013). Surveillance by social media and websites, rather than the government, has the greater negative impact on its users.
Homeland security is an American measure to ensure the security of the country. It is the national effort to ensure safety, security, and strength against terrorism and other issues, The goals of homeland security is to which will minimise the vulnerability of the U.S. to terrorism, and reduce the number of damages to the country.
Edward Snowden is America’s most recent controversial figure. People can’t decide if he is their hero or traitor. Nevertheless, his leaks on the U.S. government surveillance program, PRISM, demand an explanation. Many American citizens have been enraged by the thought of the government tracing their telecommunication systems. According to factbrowser.com 54% of internet users would rather have more online privacy, even at the risk of security (Facts Tagged with Privacy). They say it is an infringement on their privacy rights of the constitution. However, some of them don’t mind; they believe it will help thwart the acts of terrorists. Both sides make a good point, but the inevitable future is one where the government is adapting as technology is changing. In order for us to continue living in the new digital decade, we must accept the government’s ability to surveil us.
Terrorism is very real, it has just recently happened again at Ohio State University. “He urged America "to stop interfering with other countries, especially the Muslim Ummah," a term for Muslim people at large. "By Allah, we will not let you sleep unless you give peace to the Muslims," he wrote. "You will not celebrate or enjoy any holiday" (CNN. Cable News Network). People like this will remain a problem no matter what ulterior motive the Domestic Surveillance has, and the only way to stop it is to simply monitor the people so when we find a threat we can abolish it as fast as
Whether the U.S. government should strongly keep monitoring U.S. citizens or not still is a long and fierce dispute. Recently, the debate became more brutal when technology, an indispensable tool for modern live, has been used by the law enforcement and national security officials to spy into American people’s domestic.
Current advancements in technology has given the government more tools for surveillance and thus leads to growing concerns for privacy. The two main categories of surveillance technologies are the ones that allow the government to gather information where previously unavailable or harder to obtain, and the ones that allow the government to process public information more quickly and efficiently (Simmons, 2007). The first category includes technologies like eavesdropping devices and hidden cameras. These are clear offenders of privacy because they are capable of gathering information while being largely unnoticed. The second category would include technologies that are used in a public space, like cameras in a public park. While these devices
The recent terrorists attacks of 9/11 has brought security to an all-time high, and more importantly brought the NSA to the limelight. Facts don 't change however, terrorist attacks are not common as history has shown. So what has domestic surveillance actually protected? There are no records to date that they have stopped any harm from being caused. If it is well known by every American that they are being watched, then why would a terrorist with the intention of harming use these devices to talk about their heinous acts? The real criminals are smarter than this, and it has shown with every attack in our history. Petty acts of crime are not what domestic surveillance should be used for. Terrorism has been happening for decades before any electronics were introduced, and even in third world countries where electronics are not accessible. The government needs a different way to locate these terrorists, rather than spy on every innocent human being. Andrew Bacevich states in his article The Cult of National Security: What Happened to Check and Balances? that until Americans set free the idea of national security, empowering presidents will continue to treat us improperly, causing a persistent risk to independence at home. Complete and total security will never happen as long as there is malicious intent in the mind of a criminal, and sacrificing freedoms for the false sense of safety should not be
Adam Penenberg’s “The Surveillance Society” reminds Americans of the tragic events of September 11, 2001 and the instant effects the that attacks on the World Trade Center had on security in the United States. Penenberg discusses how the airports were shut down and federal officials began to plot a military response. Although those were necessary actions, they were not as long lasting as some of the other safety precautions that were taken. The Patriot Act, which makes it easier for the government to access cell phones and pagers and monitor email and web browsing, was proposed. Politicians agreed that during a war civil liberties are treated differently. From there, Penenberg explains that for years before September 11th, Americans were comfortable with cameras monitoring them doing everyday activities.
Homeland security is the way Americans put forth the effort to ensure the homeland is safe, secure, and stands firm against terrorist acts and other hazard that could put the health and welfare of the American people. The mission of the Homeland Security is to prevent terrorism, secure and protect our open borders, uphold all immigration laws, safeguard and secure cyberspace, and be content and resilient when it pertains to disasters.
Citizens feeling protected in their own nation is a crucial factor for the development and advancement of that nation. The United States’ government has been able to provide this service for a small tax and for the most part it is money well spent. Due to events leading up to the terrifying attacks on September 11, 2001 and following these attacks, the Unites States’ government has begun enacting certain laws and regulations that ensure the safety of its citizens. From the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 to the most recent National Security Agency scandal, the government has attempted and for the most part succeeded in keeping domestic safety under control. Making sure that the balance between obtaining enough intelligence to protect the safety of the nation and the preservation of basic human rights is not extremely skewed, Congress has set forth requisites in FISA which aim to balance the conflicting goals of privacy and security; but the timeline preceding this act has been anything but honorable for the United States government.
Taylor, James Stacey. "In Praise of Big Brother: Why We Should Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Government Surveillance." Public Affairs Quarterly July 2005: 227-246.
The first area is the Department of Homeland Security’s mission. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was created in 2002 by the Homeland Security Act. In 2003 the DHS started their operations. The DHS primary responsibilities and objectives includes prevention, protection, and response to issues that threaten national security. There are five core missions that define the DHS: Managing and securing our nation’s borders, strengthening security initiatives to help prevent terrorism, administering and enforcing the nation’s immigration laws, ensuring that the nation can rebound fast and or prevent disasters, and ensuring the internet is secure by instituting safeguards that protect the nation against cyber-attacks. (TWH, 2003)
Most people concerned about the privacy implications of government surveillance aren’t arguing for no[sic] surveillance and absolute privacy. They’d be fine giving up some privacy as long as appropriate controls, limitations, oversight and accountability mechanisms were in place. ”(“5 Myths about Privacy”). The fight for privacy rights is by no means a recent conflict.
To respond to government leaders’ requirements and questions, the collecting, analyzing, and distributing of intelligence information must occur. However, intelligence is a comprehensive term that involves these following which are, analyzing, collecting, production of sensitive information to support national security leaders, such as policymakers, military commanders and Members of Congress. Specifically, the intelligence community provides insight on the important issues through collecting intelligence, data analyzing context, and providing customers with timely relevant products at all national security level; from the White House down to the military at war. Indeed, it’s true that intelligence is central to everything DHS does; and intelligence
There has always been surveillance of the general public conducted by the United States government, the usual justifications being upholding the security of the nation , weeding out those who intend to bring harm to the nation, and more. But the methods for acquiring such information on citizens of the united states were not very sophisticated many years ago so the impact of government surveillance was not as great. As a result of many technological advancements today the methods for acquiring personal information - phone metadata, internet history and more - have become much simpler and sophisticated. Many times, the information acquired from different individuals is done so without their consent or knowledge. The current surveillance of people