The Pros And Cons Of NSA Spying

No one is protected, there is no place to hide in the United States of America. Counter intelligence, surveillance, spying, and secret acts passed by congress which citizens of the United States may not even recall. Are we watched constantly, or is our data being compromised without our consent? Authorization and consent are two different actions which our government still does not know to use against us. In today’s society the surveillance state is high. The act of spying has been secretly carried out by the NSA, CIA, Secret Service, FBI, Company corporations, Cell phone carriers, and the World Wide Web. The issue of congress implementing the Patriot Act and taking non-authorized information from citizens. Congress should ban the use of spying and capturing of data from citizens. Others may say this act protects our well-being and safety in the United States.
In regards to, national security today it has ideally changed from the past (Shah, 2013). Shah’s study (as cited in Surveillance State: NSA Spying and more) found out that “At the start of June 2013, a large number of documents detailing surveillance by intelligence agencies such as the US’s NSA and UK’s GCHQ started to be revealed, based on information” (Shah, 2013). Is this really the start of information being spied
on? The actions of spying, stealing, and capturing data has always been an issue throughout the United States history (Shah, 2013). Much of the United States surveillance programs came from the aftermath of September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York (Shah, 2013).
In addition to, we all use electronics some point in our lives, but little do we know the government is secretly taking our data without permission. The implementation of access and gathering of data doesn’t mind many individuals (Shah, 2013). Shah (2013) claims that “Most leaks reveal a massive surveillance program that includes interception of big data.” The history of surveillance dates back from the creation of the first camera (Savage, 2012). Many people may think the act of recording, watching, and taking pictures may be fine for a joke, but others feel their sense of privacy being compromised without authorization (Savage, 2009). Many citizens in the United States today do not know about the Patriot Act. The act was put in place by congress and signed by President George W. Bush in 2001 which states “An Act to deter and punish terrorist acts in the United States and around the world, to enhance law enforcement investigatory tools, and for other purposes” (Savage, 2009). Primarily this law was enacted because of the September 11th terrorist attacks (Shah, 2013). The other issue was the outbreak of anthrax (powder substance) which became a problem (Savage, 2012). Nevertheless, the Patriot act was introduced to the House representatives, committees, and subcommittees. It was passed by the house and senate, then signed into law by President George W. Bush (Savage, 2009). One side may argue whether this act should be in active today. The other side could defend the positive point given by this act. On May 26, 2011, President Barack Obama signed the PATRIOT Sunsets Extension Act. The four-year extension of three key provisions in the USA PATRIOT act were roving wiretaps, searches of business records (the "library records provision"), and conducting surveillance of "lone wolves" individuals suspected of terrorist-related activities not linked to terrorist groups (Minow, Coyle & Kaufman, 2002). Many United States citizens believe that “These such acts were created because of the 9-11 terrorist attacks” (Jaeger, Bertot, & McClure, 2003).
However, several controversies simultaneously occurred and affected homeland security (Minow, Coyle & Kaufman, 2002). Cohen listed the accusations of conspiracy theories, which were: the Oklahoma City bombing, 9/11, Boston Bombing, and the Sandy Hook Elementary school shooting (Cohen et al., 2014). The after-math of these events implemented the tough surveillance, more officials, secret coded messages, and secret agent who typically spy on suspected criminals (Jaeger et al., 2003). Indeed, one of the biggest conspiracy theories in the government occurred in 2013.The event was the revealed details of classified United States government surveillance programs (Engelhardt, 2014). Once regarded as the betrayal to the blue and white, his name was Edward Snowden (Engelhardt, 2014). Snowden was an American computer professional who leaked classified information from the NSA (National Security Agency), in June 2013 (Engelhardt, 2014). Mr. Snowden had the American job and he threw it all away because his disagreement with the way the United States carried out surveillance programs. He is currently charged of theft of government property, unauthorized communication of national defense information, and has been granted temporary asylum in Russia (Engelhardt, 2014). Snowden has been variously called a hero, a whistleblower, and a traitor (Engelhardt, 2014). In fact, anyone can argue the issue in which people are for the patriot act or even individuals that are against it (Jaegar et al., 2003). Current trends value the change in whether the Patriot act should be re-written or not (Cohen et al., 2014). For the citizens in which they are for the act suggest maybe that the act gives them security, protection, and equality. Other people who are against the act suggest maybe it violates privacy, violation of rights, not needed, and shouldn’t be kept a secret from citizens of the United States. There are many examples in which both sides could defend their points. For instance the individuals who are for the act may throw examples such as the necessary information and data to gather on suspected terrorists, criminals, robbers, illegal drug dealers, hackers, and other individual that should be monitored via surveillance. Last for the citizens who are against the act may throw in examples such as: personal belongings, violation of privacy, data storage, non-authorization, phone tapping, spying, and illegal use of cameras. In all honesty, this ongoing debate is not over, there are still pros and cons to both sides (Minow et al., 2002).
The main point is, surveillance has actions of illegal actions of videotaping, but many individuals speculate the reasons for the action is necessary. In an Aljazeera article (Americas, 2013) states that “US judge rules NSA phone tapping legal” (Americas, 2013). People should know that our phone calls, text messages, and emails are checked daily by the NSA and other government surveillance programs (Jaeger et al., 2013). In regards to the government they may have support groups and all their expertise to say under no such way are we spying on everyone every second of each
day.
Besides, big name corporations such as Verizon, Apple, Google, Sony, Samsung, HP, T-Mobile, Sprint and others have privacy acts under their user agreements (Labott, 1970). People may not even care to take a look at the user agreements and other forms of information that discuss about consent to third parties, send error messages, set location services, emergency alerts, and other forms of data that could be sent from the company sever lines. Government programs over see all the data stored in the company headquarters with consent or not (Minow et al., 2002). Which ever happens, it may involve the government putting the Patriot Act in people’s hands, and having them decide whether to ban it or not. It always has been congress and the president’s choice to re-work the act that was reformed in 2011. Shah (2013) claims that “so-called war on terror have been expressed for a long time, and these revelations seem to be confirming some of those fears” (Shah, 2013). She believes the acts of terrorists attacks affect the rule to be implemented and now is regarded as the founding block for phone tapping, spying, data consumption, and surveillance. The United States has always been a protected nation, actions in which the government has implemented makes security in the United States more advanced than other countries (Shay, 2013).