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The How America Lost Its Secrets By Edward Jay Epstein

1452 Words6 Pages

Throughout the extensive period of time in which American citizens fought for national security and privacy rights within America, many historical events such as the Snowden incident of 2013, the countless court cases such as Snowden v United States, led by leaders such as Edward Snowden and Apple, the countries attitude changed towards national security and privacy leading to the change that people are less protected than ever due to new technology. National Security and Privacy rights have become progressively easier to violate as technology progresses throughout the United States. However, the origins of national security and privacy began in the 4th amendment when these rights were much more protected. The 4th amendment states that: “The …show more content…

This particularly concerns the Fourth Amendment. Epstein delves into the evolving world of surveillance, whistleblowing, and government secrecy from the public. This offers an informative examination of the tension between the government's duty to protect its citizens and the citizens' right to privacy. The book dissects notable events such as the Edward Snowden revelations, shedding light on the constitutional implications of mass surveillance programs and their impact on Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. Epstein highlights how the expansion of surveillance capabilities has challenged traditional notions of privacy. Furthermore, it affects important debates about the scope of government power and the limits of individual liberty. One quote from the book encapsulates this theme: "In the post-9/11 world, the government had opted for a vast expansion of its surveillance powers in the name of national security. In the process, it inevitably encroached on the privacy rights guaranteed by the Fourth Amendment." This quote shows how the U.S. intelligence became too comfortable with having access to confidential information in the post 9/11 world. They did not feel the need to give up tracking confidential information even after the war on terror was complete. Epstein tries to show the reader that their own private and personal information is at risk of being watched and read by an NSA employee. This shows that as time progresses, national security and privacy are more at risk than

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