Persuasive Essay On Data Security

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The implementation of several security measures after September 11 has led to new types of developments in the collection of data. With the rapid growth of information technology and its reach around the world as well as the average citizen’s ever-growing reliance on technologies, arguments have risen over the importance of individual freedom and privacy. The leaks from those such as Edward Snowden and their revelations of how the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance practices target and monitor their own citizens led to even further scrutiny of big data mining by government agencies. With the threat of terror attacks still a constant fear among many, a particular mindset is developed arguing that these overbearing safety measures …show more content…

This essay will debunk this nothing-to-hide argument, centring on how data is collected and analysed should be concerning to all, including those who have done nothing wrong. This essay will begin with a brief description of data mining and the prevailing arguments for its continual use. It will then elaborate on the issues and limitations of big data mining, notably the oversights in regards to data quality, interoperability, Jeffery Seifert’s concept of ‘mission creep’ and how they disregard privacy (2006, 209). These limitations will be further shown through examples of oversights in the implementation of these practices. This essay will conclude with outlining the possible developments that are needed in order to enhance privacy while being subject to strict regulations and …show more content…

The process of storing, using and analysing this data can be seen as establishing a power relationship between citizens and state institutions that enforces powerlessness as decisions are made for the citizen while they are denied to know how their information is used. One of the biggest challenges with data mining is the quality of the data, how it is collected and how it is analysed. The two most important technological developments of our generation are the internet and the mobile phone (Hyppönen 2014). Critiques arose over whether the third-party doctrine can be ethically enforced today in a world where individuals are so dependent and entrusting of third parties such as Google or Facebook. Orin Kerr argues that the use of the third-party doctrine can be incorporated with new technologies while also not violating the individual’s fourth amendment rights (Nojeim and Kerr 2012, 80). However he stresses that this can only be done in a technological neutral way that balances the priorities of deterring and punishing crime with our right to privacy upheld. Therefore, the third-party doctrine can only be enforced with a warrant so that governments cannot abuse their power (Nojeim and Kerr 2012, 84). Greg Nojeim differs from this argument, stressing that if this

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