Synthesis Essay On Online Privacy

748 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Government regulating the internet

"The NSA is currently tracking the online activity of many individuals in the US. Most citizens view this largely unchecked monitoring as an intrusion into their privacy, a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution. While it is important to monitor online content, this should be done by the people instead of the government. The federal, state and local governments should look to existing online communities as examples: when an individual discovers inappropriate content, he or she has a duty to report it. The authorities then investigate the content and punish the parties involved according to the severity of the infraction. However, there should be exceptions to online privacy rules, such as for citizens who had previously committed crimes. The citizen’s duty to report inappropriate content and call for an investigation would provide necessary checks and balances to the federal government when it comes to individuals’ …show more content…

While it is true that some individuals may think that reporting the content is not worth their time, there are enough visitors to any given site that the chances of enough users reporting to make a positive impact are high. Over time, reporting negative or out-of-place internet content would become a part of normal online behavior. Another potential critique of this system would be the issue of illegally obtained content. This content would have to be reported to be removed, and therefore at least one person would have seen the information. Therefore, it is essential to create a new government agency whose goal is to track hacking and illegally obtained information. While working with the NSA, which would be responsible for signaling hacked content, this new agency should be free of other influence from the NSA or other branches of government, thus maintaining the privacy of

Show More
Related

  • Essay on Internet Privacy - Carnivore, and the Power Of FBI Surveillance

    1739 Words  | 4 Pages

    Communication surveillance has been a controversial issue in the US since the 1920's, when the Supreme Court deemed unwarranted wiretaps legitimate in the case of Olmstead v United States. Since telephone wires ran over public grounds, and the property of Olmstead was not physically violated, the wiretap was upheld as lawful. However, the Supreme Court overturned this ruling in 1967 in the landmark case of Katz v United States. On the basis of the fourth amendment, the court established that individuals have the right to privacy of communication, and that wiretapping is unconstitutional unless it is authorized by a search warrant. [Bowyer, 142-143] Since then, the right to communication privacy has become accepted as an integral facet of the American deontological code of ethics. The FBI has made an at least perfunctory effort to respect the public's demand for Internet privacy with its new Internet surveillance system, Carnivore. However, the current implementation of Carnivore unnecessarily jeopardizes the privacy of innocent individuals.

    Read More

  • The NSA, Privacy and the War or Terrorism

    1550 Words  | 4 Pages

    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). 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.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of The NSA Controversial Issues Spark Debate

    1598 Words  | 4 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Essay on Internet Privacy - Ethical Issues Raised by Privacy Service Providers

    2877 Words  | 6 Pages

    Part of the allure of the Internet has always been the anonymity it offers its users.  As the Internet has grown however, causing capitalists and governments to enter the picture, the old rules are changing fast.  E-commerce firms employ the latest technologies to track minute details on customer behavior.  The FBI's Carnivore email-tracking system is being increasingly used to infringe on the privacy of netizens.  Corporations now monitor their employees' web and email usage.  In addition to these privacy infringements, Internet users are also having their use censored, as governments, corporations, and other institutions block access to certain sites.  However, as technology can be used to wage war on personal freedoms, it can also be employed in the fight against censorship and invasion of privacy.

    Read More

  • Internet Privacy: Edward Snowden

    1686 Words  | 4 Pages

    The government gives each American citizen a set of unalienable rights that protect them from the government’s power. These rights cannot be broken, yet the government violates the Fourth Amendment daily to find ways to spy on the American public under the guise of protecting against terrorism. In 2007 President Obama said the American administration “acts like violating civil liberties is the way to enhance our securities – it is not.” Americans need to understand that their privacy is worth the fight. The people need to tell their neighbors, their congressmen, and their senators that they will not allow their internet privacy to be violated by needless spying. American citizens deserve the rights given to them and need to fight for the right to keep them by changing privacy laws to include Internet privacy.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Cyber Security

    1284 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is unrealistic to imagine that the copious amount of departments responsible for cybersecurity are able to adequately protect the country; therefore, the government needs to form one department that can be responsible for all cybersecurity problems and cyberattacks. When forming this new department, resources from other groups that currently share responsibility can be moved in order to decrease the amount of resources needed for the new group. But, it is also unfathomable for the government to be responsible for all cybersecurity as “... the reality is that while the lion’s share of the cybersecurity expertise lies in the federal government, more than 90 percent of the physical infrastructure of the Web is owned by private industry” (McConnell 4). Therefore the government must collaborate with the private sector. This cooperation can be utilized to help form the new government group as “there is also an opportunity for the new agency to be formed in a more deliberate way, drawing on leadership from the private economy to promote efficiency and cost-effectiveness” (Cohen 2). By working with the private sector, the new agency can reduce costs of personnel and equipment, increase performance, and maintain diverse cybersecurity plans. Once a

    Read More

  • Essay on Internet Privacy - Cookies and Internet Privacy

    1537 Words  | 4 Pages

    Student José Amador likes to use his email account at yahoo.com. "I find paper so obsolete," he says. Amador is not worried about the privacy of this account. Perhaps he and the many other people that use yahoo email should be concerned, however. All users of Yahoo mail are having their actions tracked.

    Read More

  • Surveillance and Privacy Issues

    1006 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, government agencies, especially in America, continue to lobby for increased surveillance capabilities, particularly as technologies change and move in the direction of social media. Communications surveillance has extended to Internet and digital communications. law enforcement agencies, like the NSA, have required internet providers and telecommunications companies to monitor users’ traffic. Many of these activities are performed under ambiguous legal basis and remain unknown to the general public, although the media’s recent preoccupation with these surveillance and privacy issues is a setting a trending agenda.

    Read More

  • Privacy on the Internet

    2274 Words  | 5 Pages

    In this new era of the Internet, most people use the Internet to acquire information of one kind or other. But what these people are not aware of is that the Internet is collecting information about them. Every time we get onto the Internet there might be a compromise of privacy of our personal information. The information flows both ways. With every clock of the mouse on a hyperlink, or an addition to the mailing list, someone out there might be gathering information about us. This raises the seriousness of privacy of our information on the Internet.

    Read More

  • Privacy in Cyberspace

    986 Words  | 2 Pages

    Privacy in Cyberspace Computers and the Internet have changed many things in the world today. People surf the web on a daily basis for information and entertainment. The Internet is making things like paying your bills from home a possibility. This was something that you had to leave the house to do, even if it was just dropping a check in the mail. Now you can pay your bills and buy your groceries, with everything being just a point and a click away.

    Read More

  • Ethical Issue In Information Systems

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    When the internet was considered a global information system in 1995 millions of Americans participated in virtual communication. People began to communicate with each other and personal information began to be placed online by the stroke of the fingertips to their own computer. So the question is the privacy of individuals trusted online? Can people snoop around and see personal information? Of course people can if guidelines are not set in place to protect them. Public and private information can be complex when some individual(s) do not expect their communication to be read outside of their online community. What will be discussed are some ethical responsibilities that need to take place in the United States. Respecting the individual privacy and honor confidentiality is a must in this country.

    Read More

  • Lack of Internet Security and Privacy

    909 Words  | 2 Pages

    As can be seen, from the information presented, the need for laws and restrictions concerning internet data collection is greatly needed. Moreover, the government can search private citizens data without warrant or cause. Also, companies are not only collecting internet user data but also selling it. The companies and agencies who commit such crimes should be fined or either closed down. In closing, the privacy and security of individuals on the internet should be upheld by the United States government.

    Read More

  • Data Privacy Essay

    779 Words  | 2 Pages

    Information privacy, or data privacy is the relationship between distribution of data, technology, the public expectation of privacy, and the legal and political issues surrounding them.

    Read More

  • Freedom of Speech in Cyberspace

    2593 Words  | 6 Pages

    The Internet provides a gateway for an individual to speak freely and anonymously without being targeted to what he or she said. With this said, one of the biggest issues concerning the Internet today is freedom of speech. The issue of free speech on the Internet has been a topic of discussion around the world within the past years. It is a unique communication medium and is powerful than the traditional media[2]. Because the Internet can not be compared equally to other mediums of communication, it deserves the utmost freedom of speech protection from the government. The restriction of speech on the Internet takes away from individual's rights and freedom from experiencing the Internet's benefits and uses. Information found on the Internet is endless and boundless and this poses the question, "should the government be allowed to regulate the information and content being transmitted or posted online?"

    Read More

  • Internet Essay - Online Anonymity and Cyberspace Crime

    2068 Words  | 5 Pages

    The 90's internet boom gave rise to new ways of writing in through access to cyberspace. What used to be printed or handwritten on physical surfaces such as paper, cardboard, or bulletin boards has changed to 0's and 1's, bits and bytes of digitized information that can be displayed thru the projections of computer screens. Moreover, the internet has made the process of publishing one's works, writing letters, or chatting with one another much easier and convenient for everyone around the globe. The internet became a universal tool, giving much freedom and flexibility to the users; it gave them opportunity to deliver their thoughts with little or no restrictions. Since it's impossible to regulate all cyber-activities, internet users are often unrestricted by the normal laws or authorities that would set boundaries around the various online transactions. More importantly, the fact that a net user can take on different identities in cyberspace brings about several ethical and social issues. These anonymous and unrestrictive characteristics of cyberspace often permite abusive users to easily involve themselves in serious cybercrimes such as cyberstalking, cyber-rape, and cyber-harassment through chatting services, emails, cyber communities, and other online communication.

    Read More

More about Synthesis Essay On Online Privacy

Open Document