There are many sides and views making surveillance of the internet and the right to privacy very controversial topic. Many people believe that tracking our internet usage is an invasion of privacy and will eventually lead to the government to take control of even more than just the internet and others view it as modern trade and it’s the key to keeping our nation safe. People also feel that too much surveillance leaves a nation without any privacy and others argue that a world with cameras everywhere is a safer and holds everyone accountable for their wrongdoings.
Using the critical process, I will effectively share why I think internet surveillance is a necessary resource in ensuring the safety of all Americans. With the countless terrorist attacks on U. S. soil and the increase in technology, the only way for Americans to remain safe is to continue with the measures NSA takes to ensure that we are all safe. Cell phones send out signals that tag the location of the user, Google searches are recorded, social media outlets capture every detail you post and now all of the photos taken have the date, time and location of the moment it was taken embedded into the photo.
Our daily drive in the car is basically tracked using cameras on traffic lights and security cameras on buildings. After interconnecting cell phones and cameras it’s easy for anyone to know what you do daily. There are even databases that track and record our choice of what we watch on TV or Netflix; so that really leaves very little that the government does not keep an eye on. Our internet usage is also being monitored via the government and other large corporations that the government works with directly.
The posts we add to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr will forever be available to the public; there is no true delete button and everyone has access to it even if your account is set to private. Every post we make and every Google search attaches to our name. For example, if I Google how to make a bomb and information regarding ISIS I stand a pretty good chance of being added to the list of people to conduct a background search on. The government works to gather our information to pick out the potential threats to our national security.
Corporations even use the government to collect data for themselves and together they make up a spy network that make people worldwide seem powerless. While the usage of the internet and media in general have become more and more available, the privacy users get is becoming less and less. Prism is a government program that is highly secretive and has much support of President Obama. While Prism is noted to help the fight against terrorism there are many that believe Prism and other government run programs take the invasion of privacy to far.
A representative from Wisconsin, James Sensenbrenner, even compared the government’s surveillance to George Orwell’s book, “Nineteen Eighty-Four” in one of his talks regarding internet surveillance. The government is fighting a never ending battle, giving the government a never ending excuse to look into people’s lives (Bilton, 2013). While knowing all of the things the government can check up on is a very unsettling feeling they do it with a purpose. I believe that it is rational to think in terms of national security and the security of the individuals around us.
The U. S. News reported the need for internet surveillance and how it is needed to keep our nation safe (Gallington, 2013). “The National Security Agency leads the U. S. Government in cryptology that encompasses both Signals Intelligence and Information Assurance products and services, and enables Computer Network Operations in order to gain a decision advantage for the Nation and our allies under all circumstances. “(National Security Agency) NSA uses surveillance to surveil for potential terrorist threats or attacks and other illegal activities.
People against internet surveillance argue that the NSA should find alternative sources to get information from. I believe that they do not solely use technology to spy on Americans; NSA spies with good intentions. Technology continues to grow every day and it becomes easier to work against our government to cause harm to others. While this next example isn’t a threat to our national security it’s still an issue arrises within the news regularly. Over the past several years there have been incidents where police have used their weapons and as a result they took a life.
In the case of Trayvon Martin, had George Zimmerman been wearing a body camera the courts would have had something way more accurate other than the personal statement from Zimmerman and the many different stories from eyewitnesses. The fate of Martin’s case and many others could have been different if video surveillance had been present during the incident. In today’s society we rely on technology for almost everything and so do recruits for ISIS. The war is different now and requires new ways to gather information. Technology is growing and so is the use of it in ways that pose a threat to the US.
What was acceptable 10 years ago is no longer the case for our current laws and policies. (Sulmasy) It is very unfortunate for those who get profiled based on their race or religion and are automatically assumed to be a national threat. Our country is working every day to eliminate racial discrimination, however after the terrorist attacks in 2001 there will always be some profiling of people who appear to be of Middle Eastern descent. Now that we have had many attacks throughout the years since, there will continue to high security everywhere we go including video surveillance at airports, bus stations and train stations.
It’s so sad to think that our society has come to those circumstances, but in order for us to all live a long, happy and safe life we need to have the various security measures the government and the NSA has taken. The NSA has every right to invade privacy, with limits on personal health records and financial data, if that means they can find the terrorist before they have been able cause harm to others. For those who see internet surveillance as an invasion of privacy- Are you doing something illegal that you know you shouldn’t be doing?
The fact of the matter is if you aren’t doing anything wrong then step aside so the people who are trying to cause harm to others can be stopped before we have something like what happened in Paris. Surveillance of the internet and video surveillance of the places we go are set there for our safety. Like I said before, if we are all doing what we are supposed to be doing the surveillance is intended to catch the bad guys not the innocent. Internet and video surveillance will continue to grow as the technology does; as it’s a price we must all pay for the convenience and the information we all get from the use of the internet.
