Ever since details of the surveillance programs enacted by the National Security Agency (NSA) surfaced in June, the revelations of the United States electronic data gathering initiatives, domestically and internationally, have dominated global headlines and have raised new questions concerning individuals’ expectations of privacy in the 21st century digital age.
Information regarding what has been referred to as, domestic spying program by much of the American media, was leaked by former NSA data analyst, Edward Snowden. He revealed scores of documents to the world’s press regarding the existence of several NSA data mining initiatives, such as the now infamous PRISM program, aimed at combating the organization efforts of global terrorist groups via the monitoring of internet and cellular traffic – that is, the frequency, points of origin, and, in some cases, the content of the personal communications of potentially millions of electronics users around the world, American citizens included.
Perhaps the most scathing revelation leaked from Russia by Snowden is the aforementioned PRISM program. From formerly classified presentation slides, now available for the viewing of the general public on Wikipedia, it has been learned that the U.S. government has been working to collect the internet browsing habits of American citizens since at least 2007. This was also the year that, according to the leaked documents, Microsoft began to provide the NSA with their users’ data.
In subsequent years, other internet service providers, as well as popular social networking sites such as Facebook, YouTube, and Skype, followed suit, granting the NSA unprecedented access to the electronic signatures of virtually every American, as well as any internet user whose information passes through American tech infrastructure on its way to its final destination, wherever that may be.
The goal of PRISM, and other programs like it, is to help safeguard America and its people against terrorism. Despite the successes of governmental security initiatives, there has not been a major terrorist attack on U.S. soil since September 11, 2001. The new reality of Americans’ personal communications now being points of interest to the federal government has caused many, to question just how much intrusion into Americans’ private lives is warranted for the sake of public safety.
Rezwan Ahmed, a junior political science major said, “the NSA spying shows a progression of executive power as most of us are now under surveillance in the name of national security regardless of the fact that virtually nobody being watched by the NSA has any ties to terrorism.”
The NSA’s data collection is not solely limited to electronic existences of Americans, however. It has surfaced in recent weeks that the agency’s data mining operations have also collected information regarding the internet and cellular traffic of many others around world, including German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Dr. Thomas Lamatsch, assistant professor of political science, highlights that Europeans’ weariness of governmental intrusion into private life is both a matter of principle as well as one of history – “An invasion of privacy on the scale of what the NSA have done would be unfathomable to most Europeans, who, given the history, some of which is very recent, of totalitarianism in Europe, vehemently safeguard their personal effects both physically as well as online,” said Lamatsch.
Lamatsch also points out that the response on the part of Europeans, as Germany, later joined by Brazil, submitted a proposal to the United Nations General Assembly to ban large scale NSA-style data mining, has been generally more critical and vocal than that of Americans.
“Although Americans tend to be very skeptical of government on the whole, very rarely does that seem to translate into action, and that appears to be the case here as well,” said Lamatsch.
Others around the world have already expressed their discontent, but the majority of America, by and large, remains conspicuously silent. According to a Gallup poll taken from June 10-13, 53 percent of American adults disapprove of the program while 37 approve of it and 10 percent have no opinion on the matter.
There is a partisan split with this poll. According to the poll, 49 percent of Democrats approve of the NSA programs while 32 percent of Republicans are in favor of it..
The poll also states that 21 percent of American adults disapprove of the actions but could see reasons wher eit could be necessary.
Dr. Charles Cotton, an adjunt professor of political science, points out that “The recent allegations of spying on other heads of state have no doubt hurt the image of the U.S. abroad, and the efforts on the part of America to cover up or to skirt around the issue likely do more damage than the spying itself.”
Cotton doubts, however, that any significant or long-term damage will be resultant of the scandal. He said, “Cell phone spying, like other foreign policy blunders, is just another gunshot to the side of an aircraft carrier,” but he does warn that such diplomatic missteps “add up,” and that America, if it continues along the lines of going rogue when it comes to intelligence gathering, may well have to answer for its actions in the future.
The present reality of this 21st century digital age is that the ways in which people interact and share information have radically transformed, and the rapid pace of technological development ensures that this trend will continue for the foreseeable future. The reality of the NSA’s data collection programs such as PRISM also means that it is possible that the government possess data pertaining to the cell phone usage and internet browsing of every person reading this newspaper. Is this a reality that Americans are willing to accept?
