The Pros And Cons Of Government Surveillance Cameras

The fourth amendment states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” The government is invading this amendment by spying on the citizens without warrant. The government shouldn’t have the right to spy unless they have a probable cause to do so. People are aware that the government is spying on them through surveillance cameras, cell phones, and the internet.
One way the government spies on citizens is through surveillance cameras. “According to documents leaked on wikileaks, a company run by ex-CIA agents has created a piece of technology, called Trapwire, that siphons data from surveillance cameras in stores, casinos and other businesses around the country,” (Newitz). These surveillance cameras are used to monitor for thieves and criminals. These cameras are found on public streets, most commonly found at traffic lights. If someone goes through a red light the cameras will send a picture to the
The government can even tap into personal phone calls. If there is nothing to hide then what’s the big problem? The problem is the government is using phones as a way to get into people’s private lives. In Plotz article Privacy Is Overrated he says “You can more or less distill the essence of the privacy-rights movement to this idea: Big Brother and Big Business observes us too often without our consent” (68). The worst part is that the government listens in on peoples calls without permission from them. There is an upside to the government listening in on calls is allows them to catch a criminal or possible terrorist. This doesn’t make it right for the government to listen in on innocent