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In class we watched United States of Secrets, which detailed the NSA’s controversial domestic spying program, as well as Edward Snowden’s decision to reveal classified information proving the program exists. In chapter 1 of our textbook, the philosophical theories of Kant, Mill, Locke, and others were discussed at length.…
To ensure expressive, associational, and privacy rights are strengthened instead of being compromised by new technology is the goal of the Protecting Civil Liberties and protect the core democratic rights when corporate and government practices that rely on new technology that invades these rights. The government regularly tracks all calls of nearly every common American and spy on a large number of Americans’ international calls, text messages, and emails. Whistle blower Eric Snowden, a contractor with NSA, willfully and knowingly exposed the government’s most sensitive surveillance techniques without authorization and the most fundamental rights as individuals. The ACLU has been fighting for over 12 years to end government surveillance’s lack of oversight that allows it to invade the rights and lives of millions of Americans. When the case against mass surveillance reached the Supreme Court several years ago, was dismissed due to lack of sufficient evidence of the secret programs. Leading the way, the ACLU’s struggle to rein in the surveillance superstructure which strikes at the core of our privacy rights, freedom of speech and association will continue. ("ACLU: National…
In light of recent events it is evident that the issue of government spying has become more prevalent. With the growth of power and resources within the government it is possible that they have overextended their reach into to the lives of their citizens. The capabilities of the government, both known and unknown, have been abused in an unconstitutional way and many people are woefully apathetic.…
Nearly three years ago, in 2013, Edward Snowden – a former American National Security Agency (N.S.A.) contractor – leaked anywhere from a hundred to two hundred thousand classified documents, that proved the existence of massive global surveillance, including of American citizens as well as top world leaders, run by the USA with the active cooperation of many allied governments as well as telecommunication and technology companies.…
I chose to focus my analysis on Edward Snowden and his disclosure of classified domestic surveillance documents. When the leak first came out, I was upset at the thought of my privacy being violated by the NSA. However, the feeling dissipated when I considered the protection making that sacrifice affords. The NSA, like many organizations, are sometimes faced with ethical dilemmas. Occasionally, there is no right answer. Thus, the decision made, while not ideal, is the lesser of evils. In his TED talk interview, Snowden stated, “Your rights matter because you never know when you're going to need them” (TED, 13:20). While I admit his statement did trigger the reexamination of my stance, I arrived at the same position. Perhaps, I will look back…
No, the NSA Does Not Spy on Everyone, Everywhere: Why the National Security Agency’s Data Surveillance Programs are Both Legal and Necessary…
America should be aware of how much power the NSA holds. Many citizens use their cellular devices and the internet daily. If Edward Snowden did not release the information he knew, America would currently be a one-way mirror; the government could be watching us without us being aware of the situation. According to Geoffrey R. Stone, "Edward Snowden: "Hero or Traitor"?", explains how Edward Snowden had no authority…
Edward Snowden was a hot topic in the news in 2013 after he released classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA) to the media. This leak contained information about global surveillance performed by the United States, which involved monitoring email, tracking cell phones, and logging phone calls. Not only did this action force him into asylum overseas to avoid arrest, but it ultimately caused an uproar in the media and amongst the American public. The controversy surrounding Snowden involves the rights of the public vs. the surveillance programs performed by the U.S. While many condemn Snowden for betraying the national security of his country, many applaud him for exposing the…
In recent discussions of Edward Snowden, a controversial issue has been whether or not he was wrong for leaking government information. On the one hand, some argue that he is an American hero. From this perspective, it is a good thing that he exposed the inappropriate surveillance tactics of the American government. On the other hand, however, others argue that he is a traitor. From this perspective, he betrayed his country by leaking information to other countries. In the words of President Barack Obama, “If any individual who objects to government policy can take it into their own hands to publicly disclose classified information, then we will not be able to keep our people safe, or conduct foreign policy” (Mason). In sum, then, the…
Over the past century, the government has been a center of controversy and division. American citizens and non-American citizens, for years, have complained about many aspects of government ranging from hypocrisy to lies and false promises from politicians. This attitude was heightened because of an NSA employee named Edward Snowden, who afterwards fled to Russia for asylum from the U.S. government. Snowden revealed shocking secrets about operations orchestrated by the CIA and NSA. Most notably, their “snoopy” behavior. According to Snowden, government-based agencies constantly use programs and various devices to spy on people. The NSA has access to everyone’s phone records, emails, pictures, messages, and sensitive information. The leak caused…
In 2005, government contractor, Edward J. Snowden, leaked classified documents to the public, revealing a classified government surveillance program headed by our own National Security Agency. This leakage confirmed that the NSA has stolen trillions of U.S. citizens’ emails, phone calls, and other information from both the Internet and our phones. It is understood that the collection and analysis of all information is part of the NSA’s mission to keep the United States safe, however, it’s troubling that our own government has to sneak around us. Regardless of whether or not U.S. citizens’ are committing illegal crimes, we should be concerned that the government and NSA steal our private information without our consent. As the government…
Snowden duty was to keep the secrets of the U.S as a technical contractor at the CIA and NSA. He was obligated to do as he was told by his superiors, even if he disagreed. As a result of his disagreement he betrayed the very organizations that are keeping the citizens of the U.S.A safe. One example would be the bombing on September 16, 1920. According to Pro Quest Staff.”At Issue: Domestic Terrorism.” Proquest LLC. “An early example of domestic terrorism occurred on Sept. 16 1920, when 38 people were killed after a bomb exploded on Wall Street in the financial district of New York City (Proquest Staff). The documents Snowden released all have a purpose. The U.S.A has to not only look out for terrorist around the globe but the people in their own territory as well. Referring back to Serrano, Richard A.”Americans Radicalized by Al Qaeda Are a Big Concern.”Los Angeles Times. “ We are focused on trying to figure out what our people are up—who should be spoken to, who should be followed, who should be charged”(Serrano). There is too many people and very little trustworthy citizens. For those who are loyal deserve the best national security and that is why we would monitor foreign countries and monitor the people of the U.S.A. Snowden ideal was nothing but his own selfish opinion. American are now exposed to terrorist online and…
As far as it is known, there is nothing illegal about the NSA programs and there is no evidence to prove abuse if authority, well other than the obvious issues. The NSA knows all and sees all, they have the ability to keep what they do a secret and if a story were to surface, they have the ability to make sure it never gets out to the public. Americans will remain left out of what goes on behind closed doors, what the NSA wants to remain silenced will remain deadly quiet. The NSA happens to be protected by checks and balance and is put into place to keep the country safe of any real threats, but there is little to no privacy. Snowden spoke about how they live in a world where every interaction with a person and action is done is documented. Meaning, the government has pushed passed its limits and goes beyond spoken efforts to find out the information they need with or without a court appeal. In this very moment, what is happening is being documented as unusual “Evidence” needed to keep safely filed for NSA’s future…
There has been a ton of controversy surrounding the topic of the NSA. Throughout the history of the United States we have fallen victim to terrorist attacks and we cannot blame the governments desire to be ten steps ahead rather than 10 steps behind. The NSA’s main focus is our safety, they do not exist to infringe on our constitutional rights. Liberty and security go hand-in-hand; one cannot exist without the other.…
Former C.I.A. employee Snowden leaked classified information about the National Security Agency’s programs. In other words, Snowden broke the law, and in doing so, he opened the eyes of the public to what some would perceive as an invasion of privacy. Those same people who perceived Snowden’s act of civil disobedience as an act of heroism would argue that this invasion of privacy is unjust according to the U.S. Constitution. In the event of Snowden’s civil disobedience, Snowden created distrust between Americans and the U.S. government by insinuating that the American government was unjustly infringing upon the rights of its citizens, and suggesting that there should be no circumstances in which this is legal or accepted by the American people. The reality is, however, that without organizations such as the N.S.A. there to monitor Americans from afar, the American nation would be open to millions of threats. In fact, those who view Snowden as a hero would likely view things differently if for example the safety of their nation was compromised by a secret terrorist organization within the United States which, without the efforts of the N.S.A.’s programs, had gone undetected. If this was the case, they would likely be arguing in favor of creating these programs rather than demolishing them. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that in the case of Edward Snowden’s act of civil disobedience, society was negatively impacted by…