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The Pros And Cons Of Surveillance Of The NSA

694 Words3 Pages

"The Government began to become concerned with the United State’s national security after the events that transpired on September 11, 2001. The NSA began to monitor various forms of communication throughout the United States. Recently, after Edward Snowden released classified information about the NSA surveillance programs, the idea of monitoring internet content has become upsetting and worrisome to many. From monitoring phone calls to facebook posts, the government practically has access to it all. So what platforms should be deemed necessary for public safety and where should the line be drawn?
As American citizens, we are very obsessed with our privacy. For example, in other countries around the world, everyone is watched practically …show more content…

However, this issue is more complicated than just black or white. The Surveillance Law was founded by the George W. Bush Administration and was continued throughout Barack Obama’s presidency. The law allows a special legal regime for investigating matters related to “foreign intelligence”. The renewal of the Surveillance law bill was just approved by the Senate for another six years (Savage). This allows emails, texts, and phone calls to be collected by the government without a warrant. Therefore, with Congress’s new approval, the NSA’s actions are now legal. Whether these actions are considered constitutional though, are much a matter of opinion. According to the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution, one is entitled to the right of not enduring an unreasonable search and seizure without a warrant. Some may say that the monitoring of internet activity violates this amendment due to the fact that there is no warrant needed, and we aren't exactly sure of when the monitoring is occuring. But of course, this is up to interpretation. It is also hard to say that can something is unconstitutional when it has been going on for a significant period of time, and the actions have been approved by congress. Can something also be deemed unconstitutional, even if it is protecting our national security? It does not seem

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