Digital Privacy Concerns

They can even tap into phone calls or hack into offline computers. How many terrorists is the NSA really stopping? There have been multiple tragedies such as the Sandyhook shooting and the Boston Marathon incident that were not stopped, yet the NSA is invading the privacy of United States citizens and defying the 4th amendment which protects people from unreasonable searches. The government is hiding more secrets behind the National Security Agency and what exactly they do. The NSA should not be invading United States Citizens’ privacy, especially when doing that has not proved to be very effective.

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).

With computers on the rise, and the government converting to computers, the government needed a way to discourage and prosecute someone that damaged or gained access to the government’s information, and any other kind of computer. This law was also made to protect any kind of businesses computers or servers. The CFAA also is considered a net that Congress throws all the bad fish in. Including “fraud, hacking, piracy, DOS (Denial of Service) attacks, trafficking passwords, (selling, stealing, and buying passwords), and distributing malicious code.” To summarize the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act it protects “anything that connects to the internet”. Computers were on the rise (being used more often), and so were computer crimes.

Edward Snowden’s National Security Agency(NSA) leaked affair brought attention to American Citizens causing many arguments. Some argue they trust their government and wouldn’t change a thing about being monitored while others argue that their privacy being invaded is unconstitutional, and as a society living in surveillance, Americans need to reform the ECPA Act, and tell Congress to pass The USA Freedom Act. Snowden's leaks provided the people with important information proving The NSA was and still is collecting and storing massive amounts of data on billions of innocent U.S Citizens without warrants or probable cause to help keep the people safe from foreign and domestic enemies. It is believed to be one of the biggest leaks in history of government information. Most societies already lives in constant surveillance outside of their homes.

Issues & Controversies. Facts On File News Services, 14 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2013. "Key Events in the History of NSA Surveillance (sidebar)."

With Internet privacy becoming increasingly questionable, the debate arises “Is it ethical for the government to access our personal viral information?” Since gaining access to this personal information, many individuals are more vulnerable to attacks and have been denied the right to privacy. Opposition claims that this gathering of intelligence is necessary to ensure public security has been . With personal information being a very important and profound issue, the answer of many would be that personal information should remain private and out of the reach of government. Cyber privacy is becoming increasingly questionable with the emergence of new technologies and the revealing of new government secrets. With the 9 -11 attack in 2001, terrorism and the protection of civilians became a number one priority.

A nationwide debate over privacy rights have been sparked. Although supporters claim that the NSA only does its best to protect the United States from terrorists as well as respecting Americans' rights and privacy, many civil rights advocates feel that the government failed to be clear about the limit of the surveillance programs, threatening Americans' civil... ... middle of paper ... ...potential terrorist activity. WORK CITED McCutcheon, Chuck. "Government Surveillance." CQ Researcher 30 Aug. 2013: 717-40.

It has also brought many people to question: is he a hero or a traitor? One Snowden supporter is John Cassidy, who states that the public has the right to know the information Snowden brought forth. This information includes domestic spying. Without him, innocent people would continue to be spied on by the government without knowledge. Americans should know what the people in charge of the country are doing and how they are violating the rights of Americans.

RWB. Accessed on 25th June, 2014 from http://12mars.rsf.org/wp-content/uploads/EN_RAPPORT_INTERNET_BD.pdf The United Nations Human Rights Council. (2013). Impact of State Surveillance on Privacy and Freedom of Expression. UNHRC.

Web. 11 Apr. 2014. Risen, Tom. "The NSA's Violation Of Privacy."