Surveillance in America

Over the last several years, cyber attacks have been continually rising. This is in response to emerging threats from rogue nations and terrorist groups. They are increasing their attacks on government, military and civilian installations. According to James Clapper (the Director of National Intelligence) these threats have become so severe. It is surpassing terrorism as the greatest challenge facing the nation. In response, the National Security Agency (NSA) began conducting surveillance on those who are involved in these activities and others which are threat to US national security interests. This program became so broad; it started continually collecting phone records and emails on ordinary Americans. This angered many, who felt that the US was acting in a way that circumvented established legal guidelines and procedures. To fully understand what is taking place requires focusing on the event, the government 's response and the ways it did / did not meet our national security goals. Together, these different elements will illustrate what occurred and the lasting impacts on everyone. (Greenwald 2014)

The Internet powers our country. Not only do hundreds of millions of Americans use it daily, our government and states use it to do important national and international business. Our government already utilizes it to monitor the activity of its people. This monitoring has especially risen after events such as the Boston Bombing and the attacks of 9/11. The main reason that the government does this is to keep us safe. If the government puts more slack on this matter, then it will give a chance for terrorists to complete their objective. The normal person does not know how many terrorist attacks may have been stopped in the past years due to this surveillance, and how many lives it may have saved. Therefore, we cannot let our government halt

In this day and age it is very hard to be secretive or private about affair, whether it be business or the other sense of the word when two people come together as forbidden lovers, ask Bill Clinton. One often acquires a feeling of eeriness while alone or when the phone rings and no one is there. And that individual labels these incidents as paranoia or thinks nothing of it. But what if this isn’t coincidence? What if someone has tapped lines and to ensure it is working the phone rings. Remember that “Collect call from”, the government you received yesterday? Wake up people. Surveillance of U.S. Citizens is real. The NSA is videotaping, tapping the phone lines and watching us watching them. That

The integrity of one’s communications and privacy of online activities is the largest casualty of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) surveillance over digital lives. Years since September 11, 2009, the NSA’s mass surveillance has greatly expanded due to the heightened concern that new technology can be used by terrorists to plan and execute a terrorist attack. In today’s age of technology, there are easier ways of accessing information and communication as well as new ways of hacking and gathering personal information. The new surveillance programs and regulations are enabled by the Patriot Act and post 9/11 paranoia, but it has been over fourteen years since the incident. After whistleblower, Edward Snowden, it was revealed that the government’s mass surveillance went beyond what many considered acceptable. It can be predicted that unless the U.S Government reins in NSA mass surveillance, the

This question popped up immediately when I heard the prompt, as I'm sure some others have said too. Of course, it didn’t come out right off the bat, but instead I asked myself what would be an easy yet interesting topic to write about. Originally I was only going to focus on recent events such as the FBI v. Apple case, but then I noticed I can delve deeper into the subject with past events such as recent leaks from whistleblowers and the growing concern of one’s personal privacy. You can talk about the NSA and post-9/11 U.S security measures for government surveillance and various other things, it doesn’t solely revolve around leaks and

Are the controversies true? Am I always being watched? These questions are typical questions that most Americans might be asking themselves for the past few years. For years, the American eye has been opened to everyday threats of being watched, monitored and spied on by the government. For some, this may not have come off as shocking as it may have had to other, but the problem is still there and problem is still there. The problem Americans face is the problem of being under constant surveillance by our “trusted” leaders. In America, government surveillance needs to be reduced.

Ever since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and an area in Pennsylvania, in which nearly 3,000 helpless individuals were killed, the U.S. Congress began to pass legislation that would strengthen the United State’s counterterrorism efforts. Less than a month after the horrific attack, the National Security Agency (NSA) started a “special collection program” with intentions to track communications among suspected terrorists and Al Qaeda leaders. Then on October 4, 2001, President George W. Bush authorized the NSA to monitor domestic communications in order to track down suspected terrorists. Two problems shortly arose from Bush’s decision: the fact that his authorization to NSA was carried out in secret and also that monitoring the domestic communications was done without a warrant. This proved to be illegal since the 1978 Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act states that the government is prohibited from eavesdropping inside the United States without first getting a warrant from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA court). In order to counteract the issues he had caused, on October 26, 2001 Bush signed the Patriot Act; a law that would expand the government’s electronic surveillance powers. After signing this law Bush stated, “The existing law was written in the era of rotary telephones. This new law that I sign today will allow surveillance of all communications used by terrorists, including emails, the

In the United States of America , the people have their freedom and that's what people are used to but in the book 1984 by George Orwell, readers see how life is for the characters with little to no freedom. Freedom is not having thoughts, actions, and speech restricted unlike in 1984 where people are constantly watched. George Orwell shows a different reality where the people have their lives controlled by Big Brother, the government, and they live in fear for the littlest things. In 1984 by George Orwell characters do not have freedom since they are all way being watched,The government limits the people knowledge, and any little thing that the government does not like can be a crime.

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.

The constant watch over the citizens is accomplished with the use of telescreens, microphones, children, and the Thought Police. If anyone is found to be taking actions or thoughts against the ideas the Party puts in place, he or she will be punished. The Thought Police keeps note of people’s thoughts, though there is “no way of knowing whether [an individual is] being watched at any given moment” (3). If a thought comes up that is frowned upon the individual with that thought could be vaporized, imprisoned, tortured, or killed. Today, there should be no fear over whether the government is keeping track of peoples’ personal information as it is assumed there is some privacy from the government. In reality, every person is subject to similar surveillance as those in Oceania, whether it is by the government, family members, friends, or strangers. The government has surveillance cameras set up around the country, criminals are going through trash, and hackers are breaking into computers, trying to steal people's’ identities. It is impossible for any kind of individualism to flourish if an individual or object is always watching or listening, but surveillance is inevitable, both in Oceania’s society in 1984 and in our society today, whether citizens

Orwell depicts the dystopian nature of the novel through the continual oppression of the citizens of Oceania by the government, “INGSOC (the Newspeak term for English Socialism)” (Mania 2014: Lecture slide 2).The Oceanians live in fear of the thought police and being killed if they are ever found to be

The Chicago state government’s decision of closing over 61 school buildings and 54 public schools, mostly attended by children of color from low-income families is an example of the contemporary practice of “Newspeak” - making as may as 30,000 youths uneducated. Of the 61 schools closed, 49 served elementary school students, 90 percent of whom are African American.

Imagine a world where your every move was being monitored. A dark world where it is no secret who you are, where you have been and who you associate with; now include who you love, who you pray to and what you just ate for dinner. The word privacy doesn’t exist in such world and it is such world that we are heading to.“Big Brother is watching you!” This quote by George Orwell couldn’t have been truer. Every aspect of our lives is being sorted through as Big Data this very moment. Government surveillance has prevailed by the name of security. But, is government surveillance of internet digital communications like social networks, cell phone calls, text messages, and emails really a public service of security? Or

The primary goal of the government since its founding has been to ensure the safety of citizens. It has developed an array of methods, procedures, and systems to achieve that goal. Throughout the years there has been some form of criticism regarding its methods. The most recent cause for public disapproval and concern stems from government surveillance brought to the light by former contractor of the National Security Agency (NSA), Edward Snowden. Snowden has brought attention to the surveillance being performed by the government that involves the United States. Surveillance could significantly deteriorate relations with other countries and destroy the trust that is held between the citizens and government leading to the collapse in stability and possibly the country itself. The potential for surveillance being used as a tool for the protection of citizens can prove to be monumental, but is vastly outweighed by the negative repercussions it could inflict if misused.

Thesis statement: Government surveillance should be stopped because it is an invasion of privacy and gives the government control that is not enumerated in the constitution.