Introduction
Mass surveillance is not a novel idea in society, as governments and individuals have sought ways to gain an advantage through information since ancient times. Social control was always an alluring prospect for authoritarian regimes, which secured their rule by preventing uprisings before they could begin. Data was collected through both officials, such as tax collectors and informers, who were paid for spying. However, the digital era has brought even more tools for governments to exploit in their individuals through wiretapping, network interception, and data decryption (Marklund and Skouvig 113). Under the guise of national protection, authorities became more willing to overlook their limitations than ever.
Why The Government Is Controlling
Electronic surveillance, such as spoofing and Internet Service Provider access keys, provides an easy path to people’s private information. However, physical surveillance, including baseless law enforcement stops and observations without permission, remains standard, as governments use such tools through their respective agencies. Data surveillance is yet another way for governments to exploit information. Unlike the previous options, this type of privacy breach is enabled by users themselves through the data they post in the open by themselves. For example, a social network analysis enables authorities to obtain personal information through the social media accounts of individuals (Morrison et al. 5). The detrimental impact of these strategies for intrusion into one’s life is immense, as they bring countries closer to authoritarian regimes.
These types of intrusion violate the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, as people can be persecuted for their words, which violates their freedom of speech. Moreover, surveillance is an apparent intrusion into one’s private life, which is against the Fourth Amendment. Protected information transferred through public networks is easily accessible to those with access keys. Data gathered by the government can be used by authorities as evidence against a person without their knowledge, breaking the Fifth Amendment. Surveillance enables the ruling class to suppress the population, giving them complete control over any persons they see as dissidents (Peterson 1575). Americans should fight against invasions of their privacy based on the U.S. Constitution.
Conclusion
Today, I discussed the effects of government surveillance on personal privacy and civil liberties, including the history of surveillance, the types of surveillance, and the implications of surveillance on personal privacy and civil liberties. Surveillance techniques have been perfected by authorities over decades as new methods of privacy breach became available. Nowadays, authoritarian politicians are willing to use any form of exploitation to expand their reach into people’s lives. It is crucial to be aware of the potential risks associated with government surveillance and understand its effects on personal privacy and civil liberties.
Works Cited
Marklund, Andreas, and Laura Skouvig. Histories of Surveillance from Antiquity to the Digital Era: The Eyes and Ears of Power. Routledge, 2021.
Morrison, Tiffany H., et al. “The black box of power in polycentric environmental governance.” Global Environmental Change, vol. 57, 2019. Web.
Peterson, Farah. “Our Constitutionalism of Force.” Columbia Law Review, vol. 122, no. 6, 2022, pp. 1539–1626. Web.