Persuasive Essay On Privacy

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Recommended: Government surveillance and privacy issues

In the recent year and a half, citizens of almost every nation were exposed to information regarding the mass surveillance used by many governments to spy on their citizens. This information, released by Edward Snowden, confirms the long held theory that mass amounts of data regarding the personal habits and communications of individuals were being collected and stored. This revelation has given rise to a serious new debate: just how many civil liberties and rights should citizens allow their government to ignore in the name of “security”?
Continuing this trend, the government of the United Kingdom has recently enacted legislation that presents an alarming step forward in the world of government surveillance. This legislation allows the government to create a “pornography filter” for its citizens Internet, blocking all sites deemed pornographic by the government (Penny). This filter has sparked a massive debate over the rights of the government to censor its citizens and choose what material/information they want to be available to the public. The government, currently headed by David Cameron, claims this filter is to protect the youth from pornography and preserve the decency of society in the United Kingdom (Penny).
In reality, this legislation is an affront to the privacy and security of those browsing the web. This filter can, and in some cases has already been, be extended to block other ideas and information the acting government wants to hide from its public (Killock). After serious inspection, it is clear that this filter is essentially pointless for the governments stated use. In my opinion, this legislation is a very serious threat to both the privacy of individuals and free speech and the democratic process
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...eates for the modern west. While the United States is more enamored with the concepts of free speech and the absence of government interference in our daily lives, it is not hard to imagine our government passing similar legislation. Already, we have passed legislation like the Patriot Act that greatly restricts our freedoms. With the exposed power that the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency wield in Washington, a bill benefitting the surveillance community by providing information on citizens who want access to banned content stands a chance of being enacted into law. One can only hope that the Cameron led government is held responsible for its actions in the next elections for the United Kingdom and is removed from power. Only then can a more reasonable, pro-democracy government will take power and strike down this dangerous legislation.

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