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Surveillance and privacy
Ethical aspects of electronic surveillance
Surveillance argumentative essay
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The government is always watching to ensure safety of their country, including everything and everyone in it. Camera surveillance has become an accepted and almost expected addition to modern safety and crime prevention (“Where” para 1). Many people willingly give authorization to companies like Google and Facebook to make billions selling their personal preferences, interests, and data. Canada participates with the United States and other countries in monitoring national and even global communications (“Where” para 2). Many question the usefulness of this kind of surveillance (Hier, Let, and Walby 1).However, surveillance, used non-discriminatorily, is, arguably, the key technology to preventing terrorist plots (Eijkman 1). Government surveillance is a rising global controversy; and, although minimal coverage could possibly result in safer communities, too much surveillance will result in the violation of citizen’s privacy.
Undeniably, there is reasoning behind a watchful government. After 9/11, anti-terrorism acts were in high gear and legislators passed the Patriot Act, which increased the amount of surveillance powers that the government held (Savage para 1). It makes sense; a country shaken by terrorism would live fearfully without the comfort of the government eavesdropping on other possibly dangerous plots; the same goes for countries that are often affected by terrorism. The surveillance can deny criminals access to communication and prevent terrorist plots (Eijkman 139), This explains why after 9/11, Americans were practically begging for more surveillance (Savage para 1). Now that America is in a state of recovery and relaxation, there is absolute uproar over the NSA and other government surveillance agencies.
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Zuckerman, Mortimer B. "Let's Use All the Tools." US News & World Report 140.20 (2006). Web. 12 February 2014. .
Is the American government trustworthy? Edward Joseph Snowden (2013) released to the United States press* selected information about the surveillance of ordinary citizens by the U.S.A.’s National Security Agency (N.S.A.), and its interconnection to phone and social media companies. The motion picture Citizenfour (2014), shows the original taping of those revelations. Snowden said that some people do nothing about this tracking because they have nothing to hide. He claims that this inverts the model of responsibility. He believes that everyone should encrypt Internet messages and abandon electronic media companies that track personal information and Internet behavior (op.cit, 2014). Snowden also stressed to Lawrence Lessig (2014) the importance of the press and the first amendment (Lessig – Snowden Interview Transcript, [16:28]). These dynamics illustrate Lessig’s (2006) constrain-enable pattern of powers that keep society in check (2006, Code: Version 2.0, p. 122). Consider Lessig’s (2006) question what is “the threat to liberty?” (2006, p. 120). Terrorism is a real threat (Weber, 2013). Surveillance by social media and websites, rather than the government, has the greater negative impact on its users.
In 1948, George Orwell wrote about a society in which individual privacy was nonexistent. In this society, which he imagined would become a reality in the 1980s, surveillance was foremost. Everything one did was under surveillance by “Big Brother”, an unseen figure who was always watching you. Surveillance in this society was imposed and malicious. Although this type of society has never fully become a reality in the Western world, changes in technology and media are indirectly bringing this imagined society, one of complete surveillance, to life. With the rise in corporate business and commercialism, surveillance in society increasing; however, new media has brought about a significant shift in its use. In the 20th century, surveillance was primarily used for “protective measures”, as Orwell had imagined. In the 21st century, there has been a rise in its use for commercialism. This essay will critically analyze the developments in new media that have contributed to this shift, as well as explain the reason for the ubiquitous nature of surveillance in today’s western society. To aid with this analysis, surveillance will hereby be defined as a “focused, systematic, and routine attention to personal details for purposes of influence, management, protection or direction” (Lyon 2007:14).
Every citizen has a fundamental right to privacy. No citizen should have the government looking at his or her information without his or her permission. The amendments in the constitution should be enough to protect citizen’s privacy. The government should not have the right to collect people’s personal information.
“The Dangers of surveillance,” was written by Neil M. Richard. In this article, the author had made more than three warning to the general public regarding the government surveillance and the dangers that come with the surveillance. He wants to make sure that as the general public, we the people need to understand the purposes of the surveillance and how it can affect us on our daily life. His first warning was, “the government surveillance is harmful because it can chill the exercise of our civil liberties.” The second warning, “special harm that surveillance pose is it effect on the power dynamic between the watcher and the watched.” The third warning, “surveillance menaces our intellectual privacy and threaten the development of individual
Today, many Americans feel that the Fourth Amendment has been violated by the government, law enforcement officers, and many others with authority. The Fourth Amendment states that no American citizen will be subject to unjust searches and seizures. Which means that they are secure in their house, persons, paper, and effects. Many people believe the main reason the Revolutionary War was fought because of the fourth Amendment. John Adams said it was the catalyst that started the war. Before our Independence from England, the British officers had the writs of Assistance, which allowed them to search anyone’s property and belongings. This amendment restricts anyone in America to do the same thing as the British officers. The Fourth Amendment is
Citizens may also feel that the government has lost their trust by choosing to keep them under continuous surveillance. This leads to the original cause of surveillance, “why are we being watched?” And this naturally flows into, “is it necessary”? The manner in which it is carried out also plays a role in the ethics. Function creep is a factor to take into account as many times surveillance can take on a new use that may or may not be justifiable. Allowing the government to constantly surveil its citizens exerts its power and can become over powered. There are also many other ethical reasons that include the evidence that the proliferation of surveillance does not help, and in some cases can even hinder, the chances of catching a terrorist or suspect. It also is a very large financial burden and then even more so weighing what comes of it, which is nothing if speaking in terms of terrorism (which is why surveillance exists according to Patriot Act). This, like many other cases concerning privacy and surveillance, beg the question where is the line drawn and who is responsible for enforcing
Taylor, James Stacey. "In Praise of Big Brother: Why We Should Learn to Stop Worrying and Love Government Surveillance." Public Affairs Quarterly July 2005: 227-246.
Privacy is one of the severe issue in today’s Modern Technology era, tied to human right around the world. Most countries have started thinking differently regarding between the people’s right and national security, and trying to leverage on new technology to detect potential national threats without hurting people’s privacy. However, there's a blurred line between privacy violation and government surveillance. (Sánchez, Levin & Del, 2012) It would be a learning process for governments to seek an optimum balance between retain integrity of privacy right and eliminate national threats in order to make the country better.
Most people concerned about the privacy implications of government surveillance aren’t arguing for no[sic] surveillance and absolute privacy. They’d be fine giving up some privacy as long as appropriate controls, limitations, oversight and accountability mechanisms were in place. ”(“5 Myths about Privacy”). The fight for privacy rights is by no means a recent conflict.
Ball, Kirstie, David Lyon, Clive Norris, and Charles Raab. "A Report on the Surveillance Society." BBC News. Ed. David Murakami-Wood. BBC, 11 Feb. 2006. Web. 19 Feb. 2014.
There has been a lot of debate on whether or not the government should be conceded to execute an invasion of privacy on its citizens. Government organizations such as the CIA have been closely monitoring daily feeds that are uploaded or shared on social media, blogs, and even forums. Chats have also been scrutinized, but most people would fail to agree to the general term of this type of invasion as it is ‘against our constitutional rights’. There are others, however, that would concede to this privacy invasion due to the fact that it may warn or prepare citizens and law enforcement to terrorist acts that continue to happen all around the world. This paper will tell the overview and the legal definition of privacy invasion, how privacy has adapted to our current modern society and in our daily lives, and laws or amendments that have to do with privacy invasion.
Most of the American citizens and residences are prone to security threats regardless of their location in the world. In this case, the authorities justify the utilization of the surveillance content to enhance the security of its citizens within the United States borders as well as in different parts of the world. Despite the importance of surveillance to the national security, some individuals view the initiative as a reflection of moral decay among the lawmakers (Norvell, 2008). Obtaining personal data from the citizens without their authority is an indication of the inability of the authorities to uphold the guidelines of the rights of the
In this paper, I argue against government surveillance advocates. In recent years, many whistleblowers revelations have making awareness of the government surveillance activities. The surveillance program has relinquished people’s privacy. Additionally, the activities that take place under the government surveillance program strikes, citizens over their rights-to-privacy. The surveillance is deposing the citizens' privacy and arise the concern of what the government intent is. Not-only-but-also, it violates the constitutional right of unreasonable search and seizure warrantlessly. The constitution protects people’s over government abuse of power and should be respected.
In 1949, George Orwell wrote the book titled ‘Nineteen Eighty- four’, which first put forth the idea of an omniscient government that could see and hear every action and word that its people undertook. Little did Orwell know- or perhaps he did know- that such an idea would, today, be a reality. Satellites can identify and follow any person on the face of this Earth. The content of our very thoughts and intended actions can be made known by what we post on the internet, which is analysed by people working in IT companies like Apple and Google, and even analysts in the defense sectors of governments. Proof of this is seen in the fact that advertisements, which pop up while we are logged into our email accounts, are related to the content of our most recently sent emails. Send a friend an email telling them that you are going for a holiday to Goa and immediately, pop ups relating to resorts and tourist sites in Goa, will appear. ‘Big Brother is Watching You’ literally epitomizes this idea in shows like ‘Big Boss’ and ‘Big Brother’ where a bunch of people are monitored via audio and video equipment, with their consent of course. For the purpose of this essay, we look at the concept of monitoring in the context of the organization, the ways in which it is carried out, the manner and purposes for which it is used, the negative effects of such monitoring, and the optimal way in which it can be carried on so as to diminish these negative effects .
How Much Does Internet Privacy Matter? Thesis: Is the government watching online activity really warranted? In this current day and age, there’s a lot of disagreement about the level of privacy one has on the Internet. With the government able to see things such as your credit card records, employment records, and more, it can be tempting to dismiss the entire idea of allowing the government to “spy” on Americans.