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Compare And Contrast Government Vs Snowden

1193 Words5 Pages

Dayton Kotas
Professor Cross
ENG-202-402
13, July 2023

Government vs. Snowden: Examining the Impact
Ten years ago in twenty thirteen, a man named Edward Snowden former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor generated one of the biggest controversies and debates the United States has ever seen. Leaking private and confidential documents, some might call these actions criminal, controversial, and thought-provoking. It had a positive impact on the United States by shedding light on the extremely shady and poor habits of the government's surveillance programs. His revelation brought reevaluation to privacy and individual freedoms, government transparency and accountability, national security, and global implications. This essay aims to compare …show more content…

The Pew Research Center took notice, they began an in-depth study on the manner to find people's views and behaviors on the topic of privacy and individual freedoms. According to Pew’s research back in 2014, Overall, Americans are divided when it comes to their level of concern about surveillance programs (PEW). Only about 57% of Americans said it was unacceptable for the government to spy on them. Not understanding how much information the government was actually taking. Only when reasked how important is it for you to be in control of the information about them. The research found 74% of Americans said it was very important. Pew’s research also found that many Americans struggle to understand the nature and scope of data collected about them (PEW). When asking these critical questions not many people understand how much the government actually collects from us and sells to big corporations for profit. Without Snowden’s leaks who knows where we would’ve stood today on our individual rights …show more content…

He bravely exposed secretive government surveillance practices, shedding light on issues concerning privacy, transparency, national security, and global implications. His revelations sparked important conversations and calls for change, leading to better protection of privacy rights, increased transparency and accountability, smarter use of limited resources, and discussions about global surveillance standards. Despite ongoing debates about Snowden's actions, it is crucial to recognize the lasting positive impact he has had on shaping societal values and

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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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Snowden demonstrated the same beliefs as those stated in “Blue’s Ain’t No Mockin Bird.” As Bambara demonstrated through the use of symbolism and metaphor, and as Marlon Brando stated, privacy should not be given to a select few, but rather should be given to

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Through this phenomenon, muckrakers and whistle-blowers have come to the forefront to provide the people with the information that is so often gated away. No other person in the world is more famous for this in recent memory than Edward Snowden. Snowden, former NSA associate, leaked thousands of documents pertaining to the surveillance of American citizens. This broke numerous laws and turned Snowden in a criminal. This transgression was deemed so horrible by the government that he had to flee the United States if he valued his freedom.

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With Edward Snowden's NSA leaks, this issue was brought into relief. Was he full of moral superiority over a gray issue, or was he "that most awkward and infuriating of creatures-- a man of conscience," as John Cassidy wrote in his article "Why Edward Snowden is a Hero." Because, while Jeffrey Toobin wrote in "Edward Snowden is No Hero" that Snowden's leak was cemented in grandiose narcissism over an issue American citizens should have already digested, wasn't it after his leak that there arose an uproar over the NSA activities, which inevitably placed a modicum of agency back in the hands of the American people? I still wonder whether my perspective would be the same had Snowden released files which did more lasting harm to national security. But in that case, would that activism now be violent, instead of

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Snowden, who was a computer systems contractor, worked for the National Security Agency and revealed to the public how the American Government was spying on its own citizens and foreigners. Snowden was committed to the truth which allowed him to reason and understand the difference between what is right and what is legal. Snowden was convinced that the truth requires an individual to do the right thing and not necessarily what is legal. However, doing the right thing could sometimes require an individual to break the law.

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A few weeks later, these documents were released by The Guardian, and Edward Snowden was the reliable source. Now, people all over knew that the United States Government was spying on its own people through messages, internet searches, browser history, smart T.V’s and many many more. This case is ongoing, as he seeks asylum in other countries. This newfound information raises the question, is Mr. Snowden a traitor, or did he save us all by “blowing the whistle” to warn us about the unconstitutional collection of our private possessions protected by

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The main issue in the Snowden controversy is the conflicting rights of private individuals and the US government with regard to the use of telecommunications and the internet. There are ethical issues surrounding this controversy and the most applicable ethical approach for this case is “Ethics by Rights Approach”. As a background, the reason why US government had declared Edward Snowden a traitor is his involvement in the leaking of about 1.7 million confidential US documents, 15,000 Australian intelligence files and 58,000 British intelligence files from the National Security Agency (or NSA) to the public. These confidential information were acquired by the NSA through the PRISM program by collaborating with big internet companies such

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