The Spies Among Us: Drawbacks of Domestic Surveillance How would you feel if a complete stranger has been tracking all of your phone calls? That stranger is the National Security Agency (NSA), which collects and monitors the data of millions of people in the United States to find associates of tracked targets. Established after the attacks on September 11, 2001, the NSA seizes information such as telephone history, web searches, and telephone location. The NSA also uses drones to patrol the United States. Some argue that the strategies used are successful in protecting the country from terrorist attacks. However, the domestic surveillance programs often provide no clear results, sparking controversy over whether the program should be …show more content…
Julianne Pepitone reported that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms spent $600,000 on drones that never flew, due to “technical problems with flight time, maneuverability, and more.” With this sizable sum of money spent on drones that never retrieved any data at all, it is evident that drones require more research than is presently available for use as an effective tool for domestic surveillance. The government could instead direct the money to fund more police officers, military, or equipment which have a guaranteed chance of improving our security. Moreover, Craig Whitlock reports that it costs $12,255 dollars per hour to operate drones deployed on U.S. borders and that drones meant to fly for 16 hours often only flew for less than a quarter of that due to lack of spare parts and bad weather. The author addresses that it is ineffective to have taxpayers spend money on drones that can only operate under certain conditions along with the high maintenance and cost. Better drone designs need to be developed before drones can ever be implemented into U.S. security from a logistic standpoint. Although you may think drones are precise when patrolling the U.S. borders, the facts clearly prove that the drones are not stopping illegal immigrants. According to Fox News, drones are seizing fewer immigrants every year despite more than 60,000 children coming across the border; the $443 million spent on drones is not worth spending on such an ineffective method. Drones used for domestic surveillance are not effective at securing the country from
The post 9/11 era in The United States defense policies have been one of proactive as compared to reactive. The United States has been looking at methods to gather intelligence on our enemy while ensuring the safety of our troops. The drone has been the answer to the search because the drone is capable of ensuring the U.S. life, forced projection of power over our enemies, and Strategic stealth tactical striking.
How would you feel if everything you did on the internet, every text you sent, and every call you made was seen by someone? That is what the NSA is doing right now. According to Wikipedia, the National Security Agency is a national-level intelligence agency of the United States of Defense, under the authority of the Director of National Intelligence.[1] They have been a controversial topic since the 1970s when it was revealed that they had been wiretapping Americans’ telephones. Their surveillance has only grown since then, even though most Americans disagree with it. [2] The NSA’s domestic surveillance is unconstitutional, ineffective, and a violation of privacy that needs to be stopped.
The aftereffects of the September 11, 2001 attacks led to Congress passing sweeping legislation to improve the United States’ counterterrorism efforts. An example of a policy passed was Domestic Surveillance, which is the act of the government spying on citizens. This is an important issue because many people believe that Domestic Surveillance is unconstitutional and an invasion of privacy, while others believe that the government should do whatever is possible in order to keep the citizens safe. One act of Domestic Surveillance, the tracking of our phone calls, is constitutional because it helps fight terrorism, warns us against potential threats, and gives US citizens a feeling of security.
The NSA is a U.S. intelligence agency responsible for providing the government with information on inner and foreign affairs, particularly for the prevention of terrorism and crime. The NSA maintains several database networks in which they receive private information on American citizens. The agency has access to phone calls, emails, photos, recordings, and backgrounds of practically all people residing in the United States. Started in 1952 by President Harry Truman, the NSA is tasked with the global monitoring and surveillance of targeted individuals in American territory. As part of the growing practice of mass surveillance in the United States, the agency collects and stores all phone records of all American citizens. People argue that this collected information is very intrusive, and the NSA may find something personal that someone may not have wanted anyone to know. While this intrusion's main purpose is to avoid events of terrorism, recent information leaks by Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, show that the agency may actually be infringing upon the rights of the American citizen. Whether people like it or not, it seems that the NSA will continue to spy on the people of the United States in an attempt to avert acts of terrorism. Although there are many pros and cons to this surveillance of American citizens, the agency is ultimately just doing its job to protect the lives of the people. Unless a person is actually planning on committing a major crime, there is no real reason for citizens to worry about the NSA and it's invasion of our privacy. The agency is not out to look for embarrassing information about its citizens, rather, only searches for and analyzes information which may lead to the identification of a targe...
Evidence: Drones have many beneficial uses, including in search-and-rescue missions, scientific research, mapping, and more. But deployed without proper regulation, drones equipped with facial recognition software, infrared technology, and speakers capable of monitoring personal conversations would cause unprecedented invasions of our privacy rights. Interconnected drones could enable mass tracking of vehicles and people in wide areas. Tiny drones could go completely unnoticed while peering into the window of a home or place of worship.
The feeling that someone is always watching, develops the inevitable, uncomfortable feeling that is displeasing to the mind. For years, the National Security Agency (NSA) has been monitoring people for what they call, “the greater good of the people” (Cole, February 2014). A program designed to protect the nation while it protects the walls within as it singles people out, sometimes by accident. Whether you are a normal citizen or a possible terrorist, the NSA can monitor you in a variation of ways. The privacy of technology has sparked debates across the world as to if the NSA is violating personal rights to privacy by collecting personal data such as, phone calls and text messages without reason or authorization (Wicker, 2011). Technology plays a key role in society’s day to day life. In life, humans expect privacy, even with their technology. In recent news, Edward Snowden leaked huge pieces from the NSA to the public, igniting these new controversies. Now, reforms are being pressed against the government’s throat as citizens fight for their rights. However, American citizens are slammed with the counterargument of the innocent forte the NSA tries to pass off in claims of good doing, such as how the NSA prevents terrorism. In fear of privacy violations, limitations should be put on the NSA to better protect the privacy of our honest citizens.
The NSA and U.S. government sifting through our private information is but a small inconvenience that we must sacrifice in order to protect our own freedom and safety. Domestic Surveillance roots back to the 1910’s, where the assassination of President McKinley, created a Bureau of Investigation that would trace the efforts of the Communists attempting an uprising in America. This would be the foundings behind Domestic Surveillance in America, and would continue on after World War II where the government created the NSA and CIA, with the main purposes
Domestic Surveillance: Is domestic surveillance worth the hassle? In 2013, whistleblower Edward Snowden revealed to the American people that the National Security Agency had been spying on them. Not only that, but also on world leaders. Domestic surveillance is understood as the first line of defense against terrorism, but it has many downsides, not only it violates Americans lives, also it spies on our social media, it puts a fine line on their privacy, and it is a big stab at the freedom of speech. According to John W. Whitehead, “The fact that the government can now, at any time, access entire phone conversations, e-mail exchanges, and other communications from months or years past should frighten every American.”
The role of the Federal Government is to provide a safe environment for its citizens by any means necessary, continue the integrity of the culture by abiding by the constitution, and generate a continuous flow of revenue to maintain a fully functional society. In today’s society, surveillance is easy to accomplish due to the technologies available to the citizens, such as camera phones, cameras on laptops, the internet, land line phones or even swiping your bank card. All of these forms of technology are used for personal benefit, however, are the means in which the government uses to monitor its citizens. The National Security Agency (NSA) is the main producer of domestic surveillance and is the largest U.S. intelligence organization that appears under the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. The NSA is responsible for not only domestic but global monitoring, collection, decoding, translation and analyzing information and data that may target the United States soil.
Drones are also called unmanned aerial vehicles. They come in various sizes for many uses. Drones are known by different names such as “Killer Drone” or “Spy” or “Surveillance Drone” as they are mostly used to decimate enemy and harm civilians, which is why drones receive negative feedback from the public. Not all people use drones in warfare, they also use them as a hobby to film and entertain. Despite the fact that drones have negative sides, they also have positive sides as well.
Domestic surveillance under the Federal Government is not new to Americans, as there have been several agencies and acts passed by Congress used to monitor Americans. In 1919, “the United States Department of State quietly approved the creation of the Cipher Bureau, also known as the ‘Black Chamber.’ The Black Chamber is a precursor to the modern-day National Security Agency and it was the United States’ first peacetime federal intelligence agency” (Debenedetti). In 1952, President Truman created the National Security Agency, known as the NSA, which permitted the Defense Department to consolidate surveillance activities after World War II (Timeline of NSA Domestic Spying). In 1978, “Congress passed the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act,
The twenty first century has been a century of technology thus far, and this technology is getting more advanced and more involved in our lives. Governments around the world are using this new technology as a means of surveillance and to spy on their citizens. Some people believe that these are necessary means to prevent terrorism. Governments need to reduce their surveillance of their citizens because it is an invasion of privacy, the surveillance technology isn’t always used as it is intended, and there aren’t enough laws protecting the privacy of its citizens. When governments engage in surveillance of their citizens, it is an invasion of their citizens’ property.
One of the latest and most controversial topics that has risen over the past five to ten years is whether or not drones should be used as a means of war, surveillance, and delivery systems. Common misconceptions usually lead to people’s opposition to the use of drones; which is the reason it is important for people to know the facts about how and why they are used. Wartime capabilities will provide for less casualties and more effective strikes. New delivery and surveillance systems in Africa, the United Air Emirates and the United States will cut costs and increase efficiency across the board. Rules and regulations on drones may be difficult to enforce, but will not be impossible to achieve. The use of drones as weapons of war and delivery and surveillance systems should not be dismissed because many people do not realize the real capabilities of drones and how they can be used to better the world through efficient air strikes, faster delivery times, and useful surveillance.
Another name for drones are Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS). These are “aircraft either controlled by ‘pilots’ from the ground or increasingly, autonomously following a pre-programmed mission” (Cole 4). Even though there are many unique types of drones, but they usually fall under two main categories: ones that are armed and equipped with missiles and bombs and others that are used for surveillance. In the past couple of years the use of drones has increased dramatically. The reason being because “unlike manned aircraft they can stay aloft for many hours and are flown remotely so there is no danger to the flight crew” (Cole 13). There are drones that can actually fly over more than fifty hours. In countries such as Afghanistan and Iraq, the Predator and U.S Reaper are physically there. Cause of the power of technology th...
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