ipl-logo

Government Surveillance In America

881 Words4 Pages

Like most people, you have probably walked around and seen cameras on street corners. You probably thought that it was harmless and then thought nothing more of it. Why are they even there? The reason they are there is for our protection. They are used for crime prevention, so that the citizens can live in a safer environment. Or at least to make people think that they couldn’t get away with a crime because they’re under surveillance. But it does not stop at street cameras. The government can use your computer’s camera, they can tap into your phone calls, and even read your letters, with no more of a reason than it might contain information on terrorism. Is this right? Some say that it is their duty to monitor the public in order to keep us …show more content…

In November 2012, Google announced that the FBI has been demanding more and more increases in the amount of data shared. But it doesn’t stop there, the government even demanded for Google to delete large amounts of posts by U.S. citizens. How are the American citizens, supposed to trust what the government is doing if they are altering our posts and looking into our private lives, and then keeping the information from us?
The tenth Amendment in the U.S. Bill of Rights states that any powers of the federal government not given by the Constitution must belong to the State, or the American People. The Constitution did not give the government the right to use surveillance against U.S. citizens, So that power is rightly the power of the individual states or the people as a whole. Since it does not follow this procedure, government surveillance is breaking the rules of the Bill of Rights, the U.S. Constitution, and what both of them stand for. By this logic government surveillance also breaks the fourth Amendment in the Bill of Rights. The fourth Amendment guards us from any unreasonable searches and seizing of our property. The government searches through countless information belonging to American citizens. They also seize property by making Google delete posts belonging to

Show More
Related
150 Words | 1 Pages

The Fourth Amendment makes people in American feel safe and secure. David Sirota author of “Does the government actually understand the 4th Amendment?” says,"a few years after it aired the director of national Intelligence admitted illegal surveillance was still taking place"(understand). " the Government’s unverified assertion that it has halted “systemic” illegal/unconstitutional surveillance by the National Security Administration." says David Sirota author of “Does the government actually understand the 4th Amendment?”(Understand). Sirota also states "The NSA is admitting that even with an outdated 1997 supreme court ruling it knows it cannot post mass collect metadata with no warrants whatsoever.

Read More
1224 Words | 5 Pages

Imagine being eavesdropped by the government, while talking a private conversation. This would make people feel unsafe. Katz, a person who experienced it, went to court because of this. The Supreme Court agrees to hear about 100-150 cases out of 7,000 per year. Cases are brought up to the court by the people filing a complaint or the people think their rights has been deprived by other citizens(USGOV).

Read More
459 Words | 2 Pages

The Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution provides, the ultimate goal of this provision is to protect people’s right of privacy and freedom from arbitrary governmental intrusions. And being searched. Good Thing

Read More
1277 Words | 6 Pages

The U.S follows a different school of surveillance. Despite the fundamental right to be held “innocent until proven guilty”, it monitors everyone until proven innocent. The status quo could of course damage America’s long known liberties granted by the Constitution. Recent revelations by whistleblower Edward Snowden, have confirmed that the government is more likely to cross some constitutional lines in the name of national security. “The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 (FISA) regulates the government’s acquisition of any electronic surveillance within the country for foreign intelligence use.

Read More
778 Words | 4 Pages

To obtain a search warrant law enforcement personnel would have to persuade a judge that they have a probable matter. (Source 1.2) For example, citizens have all right there privacy until they have done something to potentially harm someone. Next, the government takes professional matters to make certain that citizens’ information is private. (Source 4.3) For every case that needs a warrant, law enforcement has to give the judge a plausible case giving the details of what happened. Moreover, if the government or even law enforcement wants to go deeper into an investigation, they have to go to a federal judge and indicate why they want to do that task.

Read More
546 Words | 3 Pages

Though it does not say that the states, nor do local government has the luxury of this right. So a federal agency such as the FBI, or the CIA will, and should have access to what us Americans have been doing via the internet.

Read More
1016 Words | 5 Pages

This completely takes away a person’s right to privacy. The government has access search anyone’s internet or library records. Taking away someone’s right to read what they please also takes away the freedom of writing about controversial topics since anyone who reads it is intimidated by the government (Jacobs and

Read More
176 Words | 1 Pages

Above all, surveillance should not be taken without the knowledge of a citizen. Robert Mankoff, cartoon editor of The New Yorker, reports that the government has access to see everything citizens are doing, but they claim they do not have this privilege (Cartoon Surveillance). There is no need for the government to see the domestic actions of citizens, especially without their knowledge. ACLU claims people with no suspicion are under surveillance while they are doing nothing wrong. Citizens do not know they are being watched because there is no probable cause for them to be watched (NSA’s Surveillance).

Read More
109 Words | 1 Pages

Personal records given to the NSA or government without a probable cause or reasoning for a search warrant repels everything the Fourth Amendment represents. As said by Samuel Warren and Louis Brandeis “Now the right to life has come to the right to be let alone” with the government and other associations receiving the right to track records at any moment takes away from the feeling of security the Fourth Amendment is supposed to give citizens. The confidentiality of individual’s personal belongings, feeling of security, and freedom from governmental obstruction is what makes the Fourth Amendment important to society, although search-warrants can be issued with causes that seem reasonable.

Read More
525 Words | 3 Pages

When they start to monitor everything a citizen does on the daily, it can be argued as an invasion of their privacy and their rights. Not everything a person does or says should monitored for a certain official to know. The government needs to do all they can to use the content

Read More
774 Words | 4 Pages

The Fourth Amendment 's permits the government to monitor people who are not even thought to be doing anything wrong (surveillance procedures).Telephone calls and emails could be under surveillance, by the NSA or any other government program (Senate Committee).Documents show NSA conducts sweeping surveillance Americans international communications (Senate Committee). The courts must determine what constitutes a search or seizure under the Fourth Amendment (Fourth Amendment). Therefore, The Fourth Amendment does protect our rights to privacy under searches and seizures. The Fourth Amendment makes people in American feel safe and secure. David Sirota says, “National Intelligence admitted illegal surveillance was still taking place"(understand).

Read More
795 Words | 4 Pages

This is partly true as recently Google has been more open to discussing that they have provided investigators -- with a warrant of course -- with data results of potential suspects, but protections are in place to prevent this on a large scale. Whereas when discussing local government, it is most likely that local police are not sifting through your emails and internet searches as they do not have the technology to do so. The government may not monitor the internet of average people, but it is totally capable for it to be done on a personal

Read More
684 Words | 3 Pages

“To Assure Our Country 's Freedom, The Government Should Be Able To Spy On Its Citizens.” This phrase carries a lot of meaning and it implies that citizens should give up some of their freedom. The fourth amendment in our Bill of Rights states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” Invasion of privacy, without reasonable suspicion, is acting against because of the fourth amendment. When war has broken out in a county, circumstances change, and citizens

Read More
825 Words | 4 Pages

It was now their main focus to find and stop terrorists to prevent another tragedy. President George W. Bush allowed the NSA to monitor citizens phone calls and emails without a warrant. Information was released and President Bush canceled the wiretap in 2007. Many Americans have different opinions of the government monitoring phone calls, emails and internet data. The government's main purpose for doing this is for the protection of the American people.

Read More
1315 Words | 6 Pages

(Bilton, 2013) Surveillance of search engines permits information to be monitored so that if any hazardous search word like how to make bomb is looked it up several times by someone then it can be identified (Anon, 2014). Also, watching over the public assists police to capture crime suspects so that government organizations can protect national security (mass surveillance 위키피디아) To be specific, after terrible incident occurred in September 11, 2001, government of United States enacted the Patriot Act which stands for Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001. The act was signed by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001 in the name of declaring war with terrorism. (위키피디아) The law grants the right to Federal Bureau of Investigation to profile people who fit certain stereotypes so that potential crime and potential terror can be prevented.

Read More

More about Government Surveillance In America

Related Topics

Open Document