Infringing the Fourth Amendment: Edward Snowden and The NSA
analytical Essay
1616 words
Mass surveillance by the United States Government has been a predominant reoccurring issue since classified government documents were leaked in May of 2013. These leaks lead to one of the most significant debates about an individual’s daily life in decades; the constituent’s right to privacy. According to the fourth amendment of the United States’ Constitution, section 1, “the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated”. The purpose of this amendment in the Bill of Rights is to ensure the protection against unreasonable searches and seizures by the Government without a proper warrant. Top secret leaked Government surveillance programs contracted by the National Security Agency and the Department of Justice have revealed that the government has infected computers with malware, collected phone records, metadata, data, and content from American citizen’s computers and phones. The United States’ Federal Government have gone too far in their surveillance techniques and in doing so have infringed the rights of United States’ citizens in the process. On July 5th, 2013, The Guardian, a British newspaper, announced the leak of National Security Agency documents starting with the leak of the NSA collecting phone records of Verizon customers in the United States. The PRISM program was then revealed the next day, regarding the server access to many of the top technology firms in the world. Finally, on June 9th, 2013 Edward Snowden revealed himself as the whistleblower to the world. According to The Guardian, Edward Snowden is a “29-year-old former technical assistant for the CIA and current employee of the defense contractor Booz Allen Hami... ... middle of paper ... ...4/03/12/nsa-plans-infect-millions-computers-malware/>. "How the NSA's Domestic Spying Program Works." Electronic Frontier Foundation. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014. . "NSA Secrets." Washington Post. The Washington Post, 20 Dec. 2013. Web. 20 May 2014. . Schneier, Bruce . "Schneier on Security."Blog. N.p., 9 Oct. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. . "Surveillance of Citizens by Government." - News. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 May 2014. < http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/surveillance_of_citizens_by_government/index.html>. Weaver, Nicholas. "A Close Look at the NSA’s Most Powerful Internet Attack Tool." Wired.com. Conde Nast Digital, 14 Mar. 2011. Web. 15 Mar. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that mass surveillance by the united states government has been a predominant reoccurring issue since classified government documents were leaked in may of 2013.
- Describes edward snowden as a 29-year-old former technical assistant for the cia and current employee of the defense contractor booz allen hamiliton.
- Explains that prism is an eavesdropping program that collects data from fiber-optic cable networks that carry the world's internet and phone data.
- Argues that the nsa's surveillance programs have revolutionized the way the government can find and dismantle terrorist operations.
- Opines that the federal government's surveillance programs need to be rebuilt. without constitutional liberties, the united states is no better than those countries we oppose because of their lack of fundamental rights.
- Explains that there are three types of hackers: white, grey, and black hat. the nsa developed a system called quantum in the 2000s.
- Explains that the national security agency's reach has grown considerably in recent years. tor is a brilliant way to stay anonymous from the government and independent hackers.
- Explains how the nsa plans to infect millions of computers with malware. schneier, bruce, and nicholas weaver.
Related
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- The NSA, Privacy and the War or Terrorismopinion essayEdward 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.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that snowden's leaks on the u.s. government surveillance program, prism, demand an explanation.
- Opines that people's apprehensiveness does not come from the government’s ability to monitor their phone calls, but from their individual conversations.
- Explains that the wiretap act protected citizens from the government listening to their phone calls, and the electronic communications privacy act extended the same protection to include emails.
- Argues that the government needs more help in identifying terrorists. the nsa program has helped strengthen the department of homeland security's case against terrorist threats.
- Argues that the nsa is violating the first and fourth amendment of the u.s. constitution, free speech and freedom from unwarranted searches.
- Opines that limiting our knowledge about foreign affairs would leave us vulnerable, but wiretapping foreign officials infringes on their rights as a country.
- Opines that the correlation between terrorist attacks and surveillance is relatively unknown, since all the countries that are the main targets of terrorism have high surveillance programs.
- Explains that president obama has started reforming the laws concerning the nsa, including allowing the public to participate in courts to determine if it has reasonable cause to spy.
- Argues that the first priority of the program is to protect us from harm, not catch petty crimes.
- Opines that the government is trying hard to find the balance between privacy and efficiency.
- Explains that database hacks are an issue not only for the government but for many well-known companies as well. state legislators have proposed allowing third party organizations to hold on to the information.
- Opines that we can't allow all the information that could be used to stop terrorists to idle in a database. we will have to adapt as the constitution will too, to include the new digital world.
- Explains that the electronic frontier foundation has unanswered questions about the nsa's bullrun program.
- Analyzes how the nsa's "attacks thwarted" claim spreads despite lack of evidence. privacy facts and statistics.
- Analyzes pearson, michael, and ashely fantz's "what obama changed at the nsa: 5 takeaways." cnn. cable news network, 23 jan.
- Explains how the center for democracy & technology's security and surveillance program is based on the nsa’s surveillance programs.
1550 wordsRead More - Snowden's Revelations: ECPA & USA Freedom Actsopinion essayEdward 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.
In this essay, the author
- Argues that edward snowden's 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.
- Explains that 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 them safe from foreign and domestic enemies.
- Opines that the ecpa act needs to be reformed to continue to protect the united states and its citizens privacy and freedom but in a fashion where the constitution is still doing its job for the people.
- Explains that the nsa's job is to protect the citizens from foreign and domestic enemies through electronic communications. edward snowden wanted to give the united states citizens a chance to argue if what they are doing is unconstitutional.
- Explains that the nsa's leaks showed the people that it was working in secret. the fourth amendment protects the american people from being intruded on without a warrant.
- Opines that if the fourth amendment protects the people from these types of searches, it isn't doing it's job.
- Argues that if americans tolerate the nsa's secrecy and invasion of privacy, democracy could be at stake.
- Explains binney's claim that the u.s. has become a full-blown police state. a totalitarian state is where the government controls the people with very strict measures.
- Opines that reforming the ecpa act and passing the usa freedom act could save the united states from the "police state" it has turned into.
- Opines that the nsa's collection of data on innocent u.s citizens without warrants is unconstitutional in relation to the fourth amendment.
- Argues that edward snowden's 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.
- Explains that 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 them safe from foreign and domestic enemies.
- Opines that the ecpa act needs to be reformed to continue to protect the united states and its citizens privacy and freedom but in a fashion where the constitution is still doing its job for the people.
- Explains that the nsa's job is to protect the citizens from foreign and domestic enemies through electronic communications. edward snowden wanted to give the united states citizens a chance to argue if what they are doing is unconstitutional.
- Explains that the nsa's leaks showed the people that it was working in secret. the fourth amendment protects the american people from being intruded on without a warrant.
- Opines that if the fourth amendment protects the people from these types of searches, it isn't doing it's job.
- Argues that if americans tolerate the nsa's secrecy and invasion of privacy, democracy could be at stake.
- Explains binney's claim that the u.s. has become a full-blown police state. a totalitarian state is where the government controls the people with very strict measures.
- Opines that reforming the ecpa act and passing the usa freedom act could save the united states from the "police state" it has turned into.
- Opines that the nsa's collection of data on innocent u.s citizens without warrants is unconstitutional in relation to the fourth amendment.
- Explains that western's undergraduate sociology student journal, vol. 3: iss. 1, article 10.
- Analyzes how the nsa responds to edward snowden's video talk.
- Analyzes vespa, m. (2013, december 19). nsa official: 'we are now a police state'.
1542 wordsRead More - The NSA Surveillance Constitutionality: Edward Snowdenanalytical essayOn June 6, 2013 the details of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance activities where given by Edward Snowden to the public; raising concerns of Americans about their privacy. Edward Snowden, a former employee of the NSA, gave the alarming details of surveillance programs in his interview on how the NSA accesses our emails, calls, internet activity, and anything else that is related to technology. In this system of surveillance the NSA can gather data from companies and tap the cables that are vital for moving around information from technological devices, they may also use their relationships with technology companies to get emails or information straight from U.S. servers. (Cawley, Kiss, Boyd, Ball) Nevertheless, the claim is that surveillance agencies do throw away all the data they collect from people they are not targeting in three days, except the metadata. (Cawley, Kiss, Boyd, Ball) The metadata; who sent a message, who it was too, what time it was sent, and other things are stored in their servers for up to a year. (Cawley, Kiss, Boyd, Ball) This allows the surveillance programs to build a profile for each person on who talks to who, who knows who, and even see where people are at times. (Cawley, Kiss, Boyd, Ball) These details have risen questions about the constitutionality of these surveillance programs; is the NSA violating our constitutional rights?
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes how edward snowden gave details of the nsa's surveillance activities to the public, raising concerns of americans about their privacy.
- Argues that surveillance programs violate americans' constitutional rights. freedom of speech and press, right to privacy, and the prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures without a warrant are violated.
- Explains that americans' freedom of speech and press is found in the first amendment of the constitution.
- Opines that the nsa violates the right to privacy implied in the constitution under the 9th amendment.
- Explains that the nsa surveillance program violates the fourth amendment regarding the prohibition of unreasonable searches and seizures without a warrant.
- Cites the works of scriberia, scott cawley, jemima kiss, paul boyd and james ball.
981 wordsRead More - In May of 2013 Edward Snowden flew to Hong Kong to meet with journalists to disclose what he, and the NSA, had been doing. Snowden, a former technical assistant for the CIA, had been working with the NSA, and various other companies i...
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the national security agency was established in 1952 for the purposes of intercepting foreign radio communications. recent events have focused on the nsa's domestic surveillance, encouraging a debate between security and privacy.
- Explains that edward snowden, a former technical assistant for the cia, flew to hong kong to meet with journalists to disclose what he had been doing. these disclosures led to debate among politicians and americans about security versus privacy.
- Explains that senator leahy and representative sensenbrenner are proposing legislation to reform the nsa and protect u.s. citizens' security and privacy.
- Opines that the balance between security and privacy is a delicate place. the supreme court has ruled that privacy of u.s. citizens should be respected and protected at all times.
- Explains that the usa freedom act was proposed by senator leahy and representative sensenbrenner as a means to reform the nsa. it will end bulk collection of american’s records, impose additional requirements on ized use of pen registers and trap and trace devices, amend the 2008 fisa amendments act and mandate the government to make available how many people are under surveillance.
- Explains that this legislation protects u.s. security by continuing intelligence gathering, but also protect citizens' privacy by imposing restraints and limitations. it improves transparency and gives authority to the nsa
- Opines that the most viable option for reform is the usa freedom act.
- Recommends voting in favor of the usa freedom act, which serves the public interest and the interests of constituents.
- Opines that the usa freedom act is a step to protect america's interests, both at home, and abroad.
786 wordsRead More - Privacy Is Not Privlegeopinion essayWith the introduction of the internet being a relatively new phenomenon, the act of cyber espionage is not something that has been properly acknowledged by society. The American Government has done a stand up job of keeping its methods in the shadows and away from the eyes of its people since its documented domestic surveillance began on October 4th, 2001; Twenty three days after the Twin Towers fell President George Bush signed an order to begin a secret domestic eavesdropping operation, an operation which was so sensitive that even many of the country's senior national security officials with the...
In this essay, the author
- Opines that american privacy isn't directly guaranteed in any manner under the united states constitution; however, by the fourth amendment, americans are protected from illegal search and seizure.
- Explains that american society puts its entire lives online, and most often doesn't realize it. order conformation emails can be systematically intercepted, analyzed and decoded to reveal the credit card number used to make the purchase.
- Opines that cyber espionage is not something that has been properly acknowledged by society since the introduction of the internet.
- Argues that the nsa's domestic spying program has targeted and negated terrorist attempts to take american lives. edward snowden has stated that bathtub falls and police officers kill more americans than terrorism.
773 wordsRead More - The Manhattan Projectanalytical essay... II." The National Security Archive. Last modified April 5, 2005. Accessed May 21, 2014. http://www2.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB162/.
In this essay, the author
- Describes how the manhattan project was born after president roosevelt learned about einstein and fermi's work with splitting uranium atoms. the project gained momentum and a testing facility was built in los alamos, new mexico.
- Explains that the collection, titled the atomic bomb and the end of world war ii, is comprised of 77 documents written between 1944 and 1945.
- Explains that atomic bombs require the splitting of atoms and using that energy to create the explosion.
- Analyzes the effects of the bombs, including radiation, sickness, and fire, which were caused by a single bomb. whether or not the americans should have dropped it is controversial.
- Explains that there were two targets for the atomic bombs in japan: hiroshima and nagasaki.
- Explains that burr, william, ed., "the atomic bomb and the end of world war ii." the national security archive.
- Cites the memorandum from major general l. r. groves to chief of staff and oppenheimer to brigadier general farrell.
746 wordsRead More - Surveillance in Americaanalytical essaySlobogin , Christopher. Privacy at Risk : the new government surveillance and the 4th amendments. Illinois, Chicago. 2007. Print
In this essay, the author
- Analyzes orwell's vision of a dystopia that had no freedom. he wanted to make sure his son would grow up and not worry about things that he is given from birth.
- Explains that the us government follows the same guidelines as big brother. they think it is legal and constitutional right to eavesdrop if the deem necessary for the welfare of the country.
- Analyzes how orwell captured all aspects of total surveillance. he utilized the children of oceania and trained them to become part of the thought police.
- Explains the idea of the foreign intelligence surveillance court in the united states.
- Opines that being completely alone can never truly be achieved. the inner party is the one exception, meaning they have the power to turn their telescreens off and on whenever they please.
- Explains that george orwell was an intellectual man who paved a way for future authors to have the ability to write about anything. his way of thinking put his works above his competitions.
- Opines that surveillance is more than just security measures. it is just the scapegoat ities use to snoop in the lives of the people.
- Cites coherent, elliot, and slobogin, christopher. mass surveillance and state control: the total information awareness project.
1336 wordsRead More - Government Surveillance today has changed from what it used to be. Technology has expanded through the past several decades and the government’s monitoring abilities have also expanded tremendously. Since the September 11, 2001 9/11 terrorist attacks, government surveillance has become more a part of everyday life. Government surveillance is said to help in efforts of capturing terrorists and stopping terrorist attacks before they even happen. But how much of our civil liberties are we giving up in order to maybe help capture some terrorists. The rapidly advancing technology of today and a more globalizing culture has made privacy and civil liberties come more into the forefront of our views. After about nine years of unprecedented spending and growth, the result is that the government surveillance system put into place to keep the United States safe, is so massive that its effectiveness is becoming questionable.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that secretive surveillance snoops have been accruing long before 9/11. the terrorist attacks of september 11, 2001 gave the u.s. government an excuse to rationalize the overwhelmingly large increase in government surveillance.
- Opines that it is foolish to assume that government officials will be able to contain all the data they gather. snowden publicizing america's alleged intelligence-collection programs exposed the united states and caused substantial political harm.
- Opines that even if you have 'nothing to hide', reason 45.5 (2013): 28-30. academic search complete.
- Opines that bombing as politics of terrorism shift.
- Argues that government surveillance is regulated, but its effectiveness is questionable. the nsa's whistleblower thomas drake was indicted under the espionage act.
844 wordsRead More - Should The NSA Prevent Privacyopinion essayEver since the beginning of structured government authorities have always wanted to know what their people are thinking. In this modern age of computers and smartphones this sentence could never be truer. In the United States this surveillance especially became noticeable after 9/11 in 2001. This surveillance attempts to serve as a function of national security preventing terrorism. The problem is, some citizens believe of these acts of surveillance violate the fourth amendment.
In this essay, the author
- Opines that surveillance is a function of national security preventing terrorism, but some citizens believe it violates the fourth amendment.
- Opines that government surveillance violates the people's right to privacy and the constitution and could be a precedent for further invasions of privacy.
- Explains that the nsa is one of the biggest intelligence agencies in the united states. it is responsible for all encryption of government information, decryption of foreign communications, and cyber warfare.
- Explains that the nsa has had a history of questionable programs, including "operation minaret" to tap into the phone communications of various public figures.
- Explains that the nsa is violating the people's right to privacy. privacy is the ability of someone to prevent themselves or information about themselves from being known to the surroundings.
- States that the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated. no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation.
- Explains that a citizen is safe from the government spying on you without legitimate reason. the government cannot make blanket warrants, but must obtain search warrant for each suspected individual.
- Opines that privacy isn't about the fact that you have nothing to hide, but the idea of personal space and ideas is defined in the first amendment of the constitution.
- Analyzes how roosevelt authorized the internment of over 73,000 american citizens of japanese descent during world war 2. the government apologized and offered compensation to the families of the internees.
- Explains that the nsa's programs go against the constitution. the fourth amendment is understandable when it comes to physical situations.
- Explains that the nsa collects 1.7 billion pieces of data every day, including phone numbers, the length and time of a call, and the recipient’s location.
- Compares the nsa's prism program with a recent study from the massachusetts institute of technology.
- Explains that the nsa formulated a new program called prism in 2007 to collect national internet usage.
- Explains that prism gives the government exclusive access to your personal and supposedly secure documents.
- Opines that if the nsa's actions go unchanged, this could be an important precedent for future abuses of the constitution.
- Analyzes how judge leon came to the conclusion that the nsa's mass collection of phone metadata is in fact unconstitutional because it violated "that degree of privacy" enshrined in the fourth amendment.
- Analyzes edward snowden's revelation that he could wiretap anyone, from a federal judge to the president, if they had an email. the president isn't exempt.
- Opines that if the nsa is able to continue with their surveillance on the national scale, what is keeping other agencies from abusing the same gaps or misunderstandings?
- Opines that the nsa ruling could prove to be a turning point for future investigations. the court ruled that law enforcement is not legally allowed to physically plant any device on the targets being that monitors them.
- Opines that it is surprising that the united states has not reacted more vigorously to the actions of the nsa.
- Opines that government surveillance is one of the big problems the united states faces in the twenty first century. the issue is at a turning point and the people still hold the power to voice their opinion.
2043 wordsRead More - Ethics: Cyber Privacy and The Emergence of New Technologyanalytical essay"Report: NSA Spying Violated Privacy Rules Or Exceeded Authority Thousands Of Times Since 2008." Canadian Press, The (n.d.): Points of View Reference Center. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.
In this essay, the author
- Explains that the nsa cracks computer inscriptions to gain access to personal information found on social media networks, online banking, and the personal computers of individuals.
- Explains that the nsa's surveillance violates the basic human rights of individuals, including the right to privacy, which is mentioned in article 12 and 17 of the international convent of civil and political rights.
- Explains how the internet and cellular networks are the newest information banks that all societies trust to keep their personal information safe. the nsa and the federal government claim that this information is essential to ensure the security of americans.
- Argues that kant's deontological ethics states that individuals should not be used as a means to obtain information for ensuring public safety.
- Analyzes how the us and uk spy agencies defeat internet privacy and security. frank joergensen, rikke, and glenn greenwald.
1155 wordsRead More