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Argument Against Dragnet Nation

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“The data broker Aristotle Inc. markets its ability to identify 190 million voters by more than 500 consumer data points such as their credit rating and size of their mortgage.” “An intrepid 2012 thesis by a Harvard undergraduate, Melissa Oppenheim, found that fifty-one members of the U.S House of Representatives bought data from Aristotle using some of their congressional allowances.” (Angwin, Julia. Dragnet Nation: A Quest for Privacy, Security, and Freedom in a World of Relentless Surveillance. p. 33. Print.) This imbalance must be fixed for a democracy cannot thrive without a cohesive system where we work together equally. This also makes it so the majority representative people cannot be elected in the government making it so that the …show more content…

The current imbalance due to the information the government has on us and the lack of information we receive from the government must be mended and this right will do just that. It's a right that must be built upon and expanded because of the recent growth in distribution and creation of information and data. Many countries have updated or interpreted their constitutions to support the right to access official information. So as this right is coming to attention internationally it has its place on the home front in the United States. Our freedoms must be protected and this right gives us the freedom that we deserve to be a part of this system and to have a say in our governance. This right can do so many things for our democracy and our society if we become well informed citizens, we gain power, the power to impact and change the government for the better. Freedom to obtain official information is the freedom to gain shared power. I believe we should all be free to access power in our government and society and knowledge gives us the ability to do

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Madison believed that the key to preventing an unjust majority was a governing body that reflected the principle of representation for a very large and diverse base of constituents. Representation prevents unjust views and special interests from guiding and establishing public decisions. The role of the representative is also to listen to their body of constituents and overall public interests to promote a consensus founded on the good of the public. Madison believed that true representation is a two way line of communication between the representative and the represented, and from that an overall consensus can be reached. Madison’s ideas of representation are still very much a part of our government today, as seen in the very structure of our modern day legislative bodies from district to state as

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1418 Words | 6 Pages

According to the BBC, it has become known that the NSA was responsible in the massive surveillance of millions of ordinary Americans through the PRISM progra,, not just those who have suspected links to terrorism. Companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo routinely provided a back door for the NSA to tap into their servers and track online communications (Document 1). This article was released about two years after the leaks when the debates over the future of the PATRIOT Act started to intensify. The National Security Agency strong armed these firms into giving up clients’ private data. No one stood in their way because the NSA had the full backing of the blinded Congress.

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855 Words | 4 Pages

Not only does the act jeapordize these rights of citizens, but also fringes upon individual rights to privacy. At first, the government’s primary focus for the use of the act was only to protect the country from terrorists on American soil as well as future acts of terrorism that may ensue, but now, the government has used their unruly power to convict criminals who have virtually no relation to terrorism whatsoever which is clear example of governmental abuse of power. Another aspect of the Patriot Act which brings forth public fear is the fact that any individual can be kept an eye on and surveillanced. In order to obtain personal information of individuals, National Security Letters (NSL’s) are issued to federal agents without a judge’s approval. To make things worse, information acquired through NSL’s on completely innocent individuals can be kept and stored as opposed to being thrown out--a clear violation of right to privacy.

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541 Words | 3 Pages

The “Nothing-to-Hide Argument” Analyzed: In this rhetorical analysis, I will be taking a look at Daniel J. Solove’s essay “The Nothing-to-Hide Argument,” which is about privacy in the context of personal information and government data collection (Solove 734). Solove’s main argument in his essay is that the general public has a narrow perception of what privacy really is. The purpose behind his main argument is to expose the problems with the nothing-to-hide argument while presenting a way to challenge it for his target audience, government officials. Solove’s argument to his target audience is effective through his exemplary use of substance, organization, and style in his essay.

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839 Words | 4 Pages

There’s a question americans usually ask themselves, is the government trustable? Many citizens would answer no, many americans believe that the government is constantly watching them. The privacy of americans citizens is being violated by the gps trackers in our phones that the government can see and monitor, how the governments listens to our calls and how they store all our information. This is similar to the privacy violations explored in 1984 by showing how in 1984 Big Brother is constantly watching it’s citizens.

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559 Words | 3 Pages

If people are unaware of their rights, they could get cheated out of something important. Being aware makes you a guardian over your own rights. Sometimes, it’s not for the bigger picture, it is on a smaller scale and looking at things for yourself. It is important to know what your propriety, so that you can do what is morally correct for yourself, others, and the nation.

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1510 Words | 7 Pages

Being a US citizen has its perks, but knowing the amendments to the Constitution is something every citizen should consider, especially the first. Freedom of speech is one of the most important. If people want to share their opinions on how the government is doing, they are able to do so without the fear of getting in trouble with the law. It’s also a way to defend one’s self from courts but in an unharmful way. Freedom of religion is another right to the amendment that is also very important.

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667 Words | 3 Pages

According to the text “Our value is founded on a unique and deep understanding of risks, vulnerabilities, mitigations, and threats. Domestic Surveillance plays a vital role in our national security by using advanced data mining systems to "connect the dots" to identify suspicious patterns” (NSA). One of the slogans of the NSA is, “if you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear. However, if you have nothing to hide there is no argumentation as to why the NSA taps into any form of communication or access to the internet. Therefore, this withdraws the power of the people and puts it directly back into the government and, simultaneously belittles citizen’s

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3106 Words | 13 Pages

The government needs to do its civil duty of protecting the American citizens by most any means necessary under good conscious and reasoning. The Patriot Act has already saved thousands of lives by simple things that will go unnoticed such as simple communication between branches of the FBI. While some may say this act is an invasion of privacy the majority of the population would choose life over a simple communication with a work colleague. If the government repeals the Patriot Act many innocent lives could be taken by terrorist attacks that could have been stopped by communication or gut feeling. Life is a precious thing that America deserves and will receive through the protection of The Patriot

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1588 Words | 7 Pages

The Patriot Act and Civil Liberties Civil liberties and freedoms are a fundamental part of America, and the lives of its citizens. Americans believe that they are born with these rights, and that nobody, not even the government who provides these rights, can take them away. Some people are willing to give up some of these freedoms for safety, but many have grown used to them and will not accept any infringement into their lives. The events of 9/11 are a major contributing factor to relinquishing of some of these rights by citizens for the protection of freedom and of the country. They believe that the government knows how to protect them from terrorists, but their rights will not be violated like those of a terrorist.

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1030 Words | 5 Pages

Civil liberties are rights guaranteed to citizens in the Constitution that the government cannot interfere with, however, in the name of national security, they do. The government sometimes finds it necessary for Americans to give up some of their basic rights to keep the nation protected, but many people find this unnecessary. A law-abiding citizen’s extremely personal information should not be essential to finding terroristic threats within this society. Under no circumstances should an American citizen’s civil liberties be violated in a time of war or crisis, because those are assured rights that are most valuable to their freedom during national conflicts.

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817 Words | 4 Pages

The fact that one has the right to say and believe is the foundation for democracy to function. If no one dared to say their opinions, then it had become a dictatorship where only one opinion on how society and the country should work had been the “right”. If people dared to express their opinions, they will help improving the society one lives. Freedom of speech gives one the responsibility to consider what fits into different contexts, and it will make us better persons and people. Simply, people will feel safe in the society they live in.

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798 Words | 4 Pages

Many advocate government supervision because they believe that it will ensure National Security. Others strongly oppose this preferring to have personal privacy. Espionage has been beneficial in the past and has potential to be helpful in the future but when misused, it becomes more of a hazard. The freedom of speech also should not be sacrificed in the name of National Security. In addition, there should be limit on the kind of information the government receives and the manner in which it receives it.

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1040 Words | 5 Pages

To me, if the public could not take part in the decisions that affect their everyday life, and would just have life-altering decisions made for them, would not make sense. I would want to know that I had a say in what goes in my community and country. The freedom to know what is going on in your country, and to give your opinion is all your own only if it doesn’t cause harm. Just like in banks where you can take out the amount of money you want as long as the loss of money will not hurt your budget in the long run.

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1026 Words | 5 Pages

As human beings, we are all born with an entitlement of freedom of speech or synonymously known as freedom of expression as it is a basic human right. It is stated in the Federal Constitution and it is important for us human beings to protect our rights to freedom of speech and expression as it is the backbone for a democratic society. Having the right to express oneself freely without any restrictions is an essential part of what it means to be a free human being. Article 10 in the Federal Constitution states that; (a) every citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression; (b) all citizens have the right to assemble peaceably and without arms; (c) all citizens have the right to form associations.

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