NSA and Edward Snowden Essay examples

Edward Snowden. This is a name that will be in the history books for ages. He will be branded a traitor or a whistleblower depending on where you look. Many Americans feel that Edward Snowden is a traitor who sold the United States’ secrets aiming to harm the nation. Others believe that he was simply a citizen of the United States who exercised his right to expose the government for their unconstitutional actions. It is important to not only know the two sides to the argument of friend or foe, but to also know the facts as well. My goal in this paper is to present the facts without bias and to adequately portray the two sides of the argument.

Ever since the American public was made aware of the United States government’s surveillance policies, it has been a hotly debated issue across the nation. In 2013, it was revealed that the NSA had, for some time, been collecting data on American citizens, in terms of everything from their Internet history to their phone records. When the story broke, it was a huge talking point, not only across the country, but also throughout the world. The man who introduced Americans to this idea was Edward Snowden.

“Even if you’re not doing anything wrong, you’re being watched and recorded,” said former NSA information technology contractor, Edward Snowden, as quoted in an article by CNN political reporter, Jeremy Diamond. Despite his low position in the National Security Agency, Snowden caught the world’s eye in 2013 when he leaked documents revealing the NSA and FISC’s plans for mass domestic surveillance in the United States. His decision to reveal classified documents sent the nation into widespread outrage. The NSA had access to not only metadata (records of activity), but also content containing personal information that Americans rightfully assumed was protected by laws such as the Stored Communications Act (SCA) and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Amendments Act

He sees you when you’re sleeping. He knows when you’re awake. He knows if you’ve been bad or good – he’s probably employed by the NSA! In the United States of America, the NSA has taken the place of Santa Claus in watching over us, but the biggest difference is instead of giving gifts they take our privacy. Many Americans expressed outrage at the shocking revelations of Edward Snowden, but there was another group that was perhaps more vocal than the millions of Americans: the tech sector. It seems odd that the tech sector, which makes a large profit in selling the privacy of its customers, was outraged to discover that the government was abusing their privacy for security. However, this is exactly the case. In light of such reactions to the NSA by private companies, it is important to understand the notion of privacy these companies hold, how this differs from individuals, and what possible effects the NSA has on corporations and the American people.

Former NSA agent, Edward Snowden, empowered U.S. citizens by releasing top secret governemnt files documenting the government’s unwarranted, illegal surveillance on ally countries and unknowing american citizens. His act of courage brought an era of awareness to the masses of the unconstitutional acts of the sovereign. Today, U.S. citizens can thank Snowden for confirming previously far-fetched conspiracy theories and for giving the people a chance to fight back against oppressive government tactics.

In 2013, it was revealed by Edward Snowden that the National Security Agency (NSA) was spying on the public through tapping phones and internet records. Snowden encountered an ethical dilemma when he had to choose between being loyal to his employer and informing the public about the mass surveillance. While the intentions of the NSA were to keep the American public safe, their method of mass surveillance is a violation of people’s privacy and ineffective at stopping crime. This can be explained by examining who Edward Snowden is, why he exposed the mass surveillance scandal, and what exactly the mass surveillance scandal was. Edward Snowden worked as a system administrator for the NSA, where he was exposed to a lot of the NSA’s secrets and documents (Greenwald 2015:

In today’s society, the word “privacy” has become ubiquitous. When discussing whether government surveillance and data collection pose a threat to privacy, the most common retort against privacy advocates – by those in favor of databases, video surveillance, spyware, data mining and other modern surveillance measures – is this line: "If I’m not doing anything wrong, what would I have to hide?" The allowance of the government’s gathering and analysis of our personal information stems from an inadequate definition of what privacy is and the eternal value that privacy possesses. The adherents of the “nothing-to-hide” argument say that because the information will never be disclosed to the public, the “privacy interest is minimal, and the security interest in preventing terrorism is much more important.” 1 In an era where the patterns we leave behind will inevitably become the focus for whatever authority, the issue of privacy affects more than just individuals hiding a wrong. In this essay, I will explore the state of online privacy in wake of the government’s warrantless data collection. Respectively, the nothing-to-hide argument and its key variants in more depth.

One of the most scandalous and controversial leaks of classified information was the whistle blowing campaign of Edward J. Snowden. Mr. Snowden had exposed and shared an enormous amount of classified documents about the National Security Agency’s surveillance on the American populace. Snowden admits he exposed the information because he believes the NSA and U.S. government were using surveillance and privacy information collection practices that deeply violated the U.S. people. Once he released all of the classified information, he was immediately marked as a traitor to the U.S., or as a matriarch/hero to the people that believed he did the right thing exposing the NSA and its illegal and unethical practices. When this situation came into the public’s knowledge, the response from the White House was questionable and lacking. The position from President Obama was that “You can’t have 100 percent security, and then also have 100 percent privacy and zero inconvenience” (Commonweal, 2013).

In early 2013 a man by the name of Edward Joseph Snowden began leaking classified National Security Agency (NSA) documents to media outlets, which in turn ended up in public ears. These documents, mainly involving intelligence Snowden acquired while working as an NSA contractor, are mostly related to global surveillance programs run by the NSA. This has raised multiple ethical issues ranging from national security, information privacy and the ethics behind whistleblowing in general. The reach and impact of these leaks have gone global and have put in question the very government that protects us as well as the extent of the public’s rights on privacy. Various foreign

On the other hand, advocates justify the government’s methods of mass surveillance by claiming that mass surveillance will keep people safer through monitoring terrorists after the attacks of 9/11. It is fair to say that surveillance tools may help the NSA find out some pieces of information related to terrorism; however, the point is that it may be not a necessary mean to detect terrorists through requiring Americans to give up privacy. The 9/11 attacks are a tragedy; the reason why the attacks happened was not that the government lacked sufficient power to surveil millions of innocent citizens, but that the security agencies failed to target suspected terrorists and enhance their abilities to gather foreign intelligence. More specifically, instead of monitoring citizens’ private lives, the NSA should focus on paying effort to analyze how terrorists use

“You can't have 100% security and then also have 100% privacy and zero inconvenience. Society had to make choices” said President Obama. It has become a given in society that it is on the government’s agenda to procure its nation’s safety in exchange of the privacy or freedom of the people. Edward Snowden, a paladin of social justice, has now come to light with outstanding facts as for what specifically it is that the National Security Agency (NSA) is able and willing to do for the country’s sake. Snowden, a 29-year-old NSA ex-employee, worked from Hawaii on his computer support for the recollection of data in bulk from the whole nation . Under the name of Verax, which means truth teller in Latin, he

The United States of America has attracted immigrants for generations with promises of freedom from an interfering government. Despite the country's guarantee, security administrations have been secretly gathering private information belonging to U.S. citizen’s. Disgraced by the National Security Agency’s lack of preservation of the American public’s personal messages, Edward Snowden, a former Central Intelligence Agency recruit NSA contractor, revealed documents that confirmed the government's protruding practices. Some consider Snowden to be a traitor for publishing secret government information. In contrast to these allegations, Edward Snowden is widely known as a hero because he exposed the invasive surveillance by NSA, led to major reform in previously flawed agencies, and has been celebrated by many journalists and reform committees.

Place yourself in the safety and comfort of your home, under the belief that “everyone has the right to the use and enjoyment of his property” (Department of International Law), searching, emailing, and talking about things that may be frowned upon by others. Now imagine the raw feelings of fear and deception that would wash over you upon seeing Edward Snowden’s statement on how “the U.S. government is destroying privacy, internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they 're secretly building.” You may initially feel betrayed, but Obama formally announced that the NSA acts solely in the name of safety right? Have we begun to sacrifice the freedom and

Edward Snowden is a 34-year-old American computer professional. He joined the military in 2004 but he was injured falling off his bunk bed which resulted in a career-ending injury. Still wanting to serve and protect his country he then pursued a position with the CIA. He worked as a private contractor for the NSA and Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). He had worked in various jobs in the intelligence industry in the previous 9 years. He started as a system engineer, he went on as a solutions consultant and a senior advisor for the CIA. The level he is working at is Federal because the NSA and CIA have programs that can spy all around the world.

Many have drawn comparisons between Edward Snowden and other whistleblowers, and I have heard a few refer to him as “the Daniel Ellsberg of this century.” Snowden is responsible for revealing to the general public the acts of the National Surveillance Association (NSA) that many citizens felt was a violation of their individual privacy rights. Two questions arise from this contemporary issue. First, is the violation of privacy rights a form of state violence? Second, is living in the United States a form of consent? There are easy answers to these questions: yes the violation of privacy rights is a form of state violence, but the simple act of being a United States citizen is gives the government consent to collect one’s information.