Government Surveillance Has Been The Government Leaks...

In recent history, one extremely controversial case of whistleblowing has been the government leaks caused by Edward Snowden, in which he exposed secret documents from the National Security Agency (NSA), for the entire world to see. The information he released revealed that the communication records of millions of Americans have been kept, whether or not these people had been involved with any suspicious activity (Greenwald). Snowden felt he was justified in releasing the documents, under his belief that collecting private information about innocent citizens is malpractice and that it violates the ideals of democracy (Snowden). This particular example of whistleblowing has been largely disputed among all types of people, from leaders of countries, to CEOs and workers at technology companies, to everyday Americans wondering just how much information the government has filed on them. This enormous controversy can be best understood by recognizing the two principle factors that have lead to dispute. First off, the topic of government surveillance has continued to be a controversy in it’s own regard, especially in the United States since the attacks of 9/11. Although citizens have remained uninformed of the true scope of domestic spying, some government employees have questioned just how far the NSA is truly reaching into the private lives of American citizens. For example, prior to Snowden’s leaks, U.S senators Ron Wyden and Mark Udall had been stating vague warningsShow MoreRelatedGovernment Espionage Has A Natural Part Of The Competition Between Countries1438 Words   |  6 PagesGovernment espionage has been a natural part of the competition between countries. America like every other country had its own intelligence system, but it was not unit Edward Snowden’s leak of America’s surveillance program that the world saw the elaborate and extensive program running worldwide. Edward Snowden’s leak of NSA Surveillance Programs not only destro yed years of Government planning and espionage, but also tarnished the reputation of the American government, damaged relationships withRead MoreEdward Snowden and The Government Data Collection Program1439 Words   |  6 PagesLon Snowden, as well as others have compared Edward Snowden to â€Å"Paul Revere† and have called him a â€Å"Hero† while others vilify him (Gidda 3). Technically what he has done is a crime, yet many people rally to his defence. â€Å"There is every reason to believe the federal government has been collecting every bit of information about every American’s phone calls†(Hertzberg 2). Through Edward Snowden’s actions we have learned of the governments data collecting program: Prism. 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During his time working for the NSA Snowden discovered the extent of the NSA’s surveillance on the American people and foreign leaders, and became concerned that the American government was going too far in its attempt thwart any terrorist attempts by unjustly invading the privacy of the American peopleRead MoreSetting The Stage For The Events That Took Place1487 Words   |  6 Pagescarried on many years after has tacked on many biases and facts due to the worldwide coverage and unraveling topics that are still surfacing almost four (4) years later. In order to fully piece together the events that took place and offer an analytical discussion based on legal and ethical dilemmas, one must approach the topic w ithout bias and offer all aspects of the topic. Known as the â€Å"biggest leak of government secrets in history† (Breslow, 2014, para. 2), Edward Snowden, a former National SecurityRead MoreMonitoring And Collection Of Phone Data1521 Words   |  7 PagesAll around the world, terrorism has become a serious issue and has struck fear into the hearts of many. In the United States, a debate has arisen about the monitoring and collection of phone data. It is a matter of privacy versus security; in order for the country to be more secure against terrorism, the public must give up some privacy in the form of phone data. Phone data should only be collected when it comes to serious threats to national security using a warrant provided by the judicial systemRead MoreEdward Snowden: Hero or Traitor?1053 Words   |  5 Pageslooked to the government for protection and reassurance. However, they did not expect to find out thirteen years later that the government did this by using tech nology to spy on Americans, as well as other countries. George W. Bush began the policy shortly after the terrorist attack and Barack Obama continued it. There have been many confrontations over the years about the extent of the N.S.A.’s spying; however, the most recent whistle-blower, Edward Snowden, leaked information that caused much upsetRead MoreEdward Snowden: An American Hero691 Words   |  3 PagesEdward Snowden, the former National Security Agency (N.S.A) subcontractor turned whistle-blower is nothing short of a hero. His controversial decision to release information detailing the highly illegal ‘data mining’ practices of the N.S.A have caused shockwaves throughout the world and have raised important questions concerning how much the government actually monitors its people without their consent or knowledge. Comparable to Mark Felt in the Watergate scandals, Daniel Ellsberg with the PentagonRead MoreEdward Snowden Kantian Ethics1885 Words   |  5 Pa gesï » ¿ Edward Snowden, Kantian Ethics Edward Snowden the Ethical Issue In early 2013 a man by the name of Edward Joseph Snowden began leaking classified National Security Agency (NSA) documents to media outlets, which in turn ended up in public ears. These documents, mainly involving intelligence Snowden acquired while working as an NSA contractor, are mostly related to global surveillance programs run by the NSA. This has raised multiple ethical issues ranging from national security, information privacy