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    Personal Privacy For Public Safety Is It Worth It

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    The document discusses the debate around personal privacy versus public safety in the context of government surveillance programs. It argues that citizens should be willing to sacrifice some privacy for security because government surveillance of internet activity and access to personal information helps identify terrorists and criminals while respecting the 4th Amendment. While some see this tradeoff as unacceptable, the document claims surveillance programs are legal and do not invade privacy, and only aim to prevent terrorist attacks without affecting law-abiding citizens. It concludes by asking readers if this tradeoff between privacy and safety is worthwhile.

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    Personal Privacy For Public Safety Is It Worth It

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    api-605314341
    71 views4 pages
    The document discusses the debate around personal privacy versus public safety in the context of government surveillance programs. It argues that citizens should be willing to sacrifice some privacy for security because government surveillance of internet activity and access to personal information helps identify terrorists and criminals while respecting the 4th Amendment. While some see this tradeoff as unacceptable, the document claims surveillance programs are legal and do not invade privacy, and only aim to prevent terrorist attacks without affecting law-abiding citizens. It concludes by asking readers if this tradeoff between privacy and safety is worthwhile.

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    personal privacy for public safety is it worth it

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    The document discusses the debate around personal privacy versus public safety in the context of government surveillance programs. It argues that citizens should be willing to sacrifice some privacy for security because government surveillance of internet activity and access to personal information helps identify terrorists and criminals while respecting the 4th Amendment. While some see this tradeoff as unacceptable, the document claims surveillance programs are legal and do not invade privacy, and only aim to prevent terrorist attacks without affecting law-abiding citizens. It concludes by asking readers if this tradeoff between privacy and safety is worthwhile.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    71 views4 pages

    Personal Privacy For Public Safety Is It Worth It

    Uploaded by

    api-605314341
    The document discusses the debate around personal privacy versus public safety in the context of government surveillance programs. It argues that citizens should be willing to sacrifice some privacy for security because government surveillance of internet activity and access to personal information helps identify terrorists and criminals while respecting the 4th Amendment. While some see this tradeoff as unacceptable, the document claims surveillance programs are legal and do not invade privacy, and only aim to prevent terrorist attacks without affecting law-abiding citizens. It concludes by asking readers if this tradeoff between privacy and safety is worthwhile.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    1

    Joe Ahumada
    Mrs. Steiner
    English 10 H
    24 November 2019
    Personal Privacy vs. Public Safety: Is it worth it?

    “I think there’s a desire to use (technology), and a desire to slow down. We want to know

    exactly how it’s being used … so we don’t sacrifice too much privacy” stated data specialist

    Paige Kowalski in the article “High-tech School Monitoring: Safety vs. Privacy.” The problem

    today is giving up some privacy for some safety. Now, people have to answer the question, “Is it

    worth it?” In America, the government has basic access to all of its citizens’ private information.

    However, when gathering everyone’s information, the government can find criminals and

    terrorists and prevent crimes from happening. Although some may say that citizens should not

    trade personal privacy for public safety, this is wrong because allowing the government to

    surveille the internet will continue to protect American citizens, expose others using the internet

    for the wrong reasons, and not break the 4th amendment.

    The government should continue to surveil internet activity and have access to the

    information they have always had access to. The government surveillance system is ethical and

    won’t harm citizens who have nothing illegal to hide. In “The Detroit Free Press - NSA

    Surveillance Program Isn’t the Scandal You Think it is Op - Ed”, Chairman of the House

    Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers states, “Both (Surveillance Programs) have produced vital

    intelligence that has prevented dozens of terrorist attacks within the U.S. and around the world.”

    These surveillance programs have saved hundreds maybe even thousands of lives just with the

    access to all information, including phone records and tweets. The NSA’s programs help identify
    2

    foreign terrorists and prevent attacks. It is worth sacrificing a certain amount of privacy to stop

    these attacks. “There are also several layers of checks and balances put in place around these

    programs within the executive branch and Congress. Both programs are overseen by lawyers and

    compliance auditors from the Department of Justice, the director of national intelligence and

    multiple independent inspectors general” says Mike Rogers. The NSA’s programs are not

    participating in any illegal activity. The programs are overseen by the Congress to make sure that

    nothing suspicious is happening. There is nothing to worry about knowing that the government

    has access to the American citizens personal information.

    Law-abiding citizens should have no fear when having to give up information. In “Your

    Digital Trail: Does The Fourth Amendment Protect Us?” investigative journalist Daniel

    Zwerdling brings up “agents at the Drug Enforcement Administration wondered if some of

    Golden Valley's customers might be making or growing drugs in their homes. Drug dealers

    sometimes use more electricity than normal, and their power consumption records can

    potentially be a clue.” The government was able to get this information and presumably lock up

    the criminals. This shows that if you are a law-abiding citizen, there is nothing to be scared of.

    Forfeiting a little bit of privacy is worth protecting the innocent from drug abuse. Going back to

    “The Detroit Free Press - NSA Surveillance Program Isn’t the Scandal You Think it is Op - Ed”,

    Mike Rogers claims “They understand that these narrowly targeted programs are legal, do not

    invade Americans' privacy rights, and are essential to detecting and disrupting future terrorist

    attacks.” These programs aren’t going to affect American citizens who abide by the law. Their

    information will just be brushed aside and ignored for the more important terrorist information.

    These programs were only created to detect and disrupt future terrorist attacks.
    3

    Some may say that the government is breaking the 4th amendment because the

    government is “invading” the citizens privacy, however, the government is not breaking the 4th

    amendment by using a subpoena to access this information. In “Your Digital Trail: Does The

    Fourth Amendment Protect Us” the author Daniel Zwerdling states “since the 1960s and 1970s,

    the Supreme Court and other courts have issued a series of rulings declaring that the government

    does not need a search warrant to obtain your personal documents if you have already shared

    them with somebody else,” meaning that if a citizen shares their information with a social media

    company that is partnered with the government, the government will have access to that citizens

    information. By using subpoenas, the government does not need probable cause to search a

    citizens’ documents.Therefore, the government does not break the 4th amendment and illegally

    have knowledge on a person's private information.

    Even though American citizens believe that trading personal privacy for public safety is

    wrong, they should be informed because allowing the government to surveille the internet will

    continue to protect those citizens, expose terrorism and criminals who use the internet, and not

    break the 4th amendment while doing so. So, is it worth it? That’s for you to decide. However,

    for all of the people who believe in safety over privacy, spread the message to a fellow friend or

    family member who disagrees.


    4

    Bibliography

    Zwerdling, Daniel. “Your Digital Trail: Does The Fourth Amendment Protect Us?” NPR,

    NPR, 2 Oct. 2013,

    https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/10/02/228134269/your-digital-trail-does-th

    e-fourth-amendment-protect-us.

    “High-Tech School Monitoring: Safety vs. Privacy.” Newsela,

    https://newsela.com/read/stu

    Rogers, Mike. “The Detroit Free Press - NSA Surveillance Program Isn't the Scandal You

    Think It Is.” Vote Smart, 16 June 2013,

    https://votesmart.org/public-statement/792995/the-detroit-free-press-nsa-surveillance-program-is

    nt-the-scandal-you-think-it-is#.XdoZNuhKiUk.

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