Privacy in the age of technologies
Nowadays, technologies penetrate the everyday life of society. Due to the convenience of computers, people start to use them as repositories for different kinds of information, including personal. Moreover, cloud services are reasonably popular, as they provide the ability to keep essential data without wasting place on personal computers. Social media are containers of confidential messages, too. As a result, such amounts of data are lucrative for people with ill intentions that hack others’ devices to blackmail people or intervene in their work. Nevertheless, the access to information may be used by the government for surveillance, namely, for defensive goals. Thus, hacking has benefits when used to eliminate threats to society, although some people may view it as transgressions of the human right to privacy.
Government hacking
Governments of multiple countries have discovered that accessing the population’s data from computers may be helpful for them. Namely, hacking techniques and mechanisms have been developed to preclude encrypted communication. The administration claims it to be preventive measures to trace, for example, terrorism and suicide premises. Additionally, the government may soon start hiring hackers in its organizations. This situation is caused by the inability of usual workers of the cybersecurity office to provide quality, deft decisions in critical cases, such as attacks by other hackers. Meanwhile, hackers or ex-hackers know more context about cybercriminals and the possibilities of interrupting into one’s network or personal computer. Thus, the governmental incursion is oriented toward the welfare of people, while hackers can supply cybersecurity with innovative solutions to attain safe keeping of data.
The human right of privacy
Regardless of authorities’ explanations of the hacking policy, some are still disturbed by such an ability to access their data. Specifically, opponents of government hacking insist that the right of privacy is an important matter to conserve, as each intervention reduces civilian freedom. Consequently, the ruling party may extend its power to control people’s adherence to the current government campaigns, for instance. One of the grounds of such mistrust is the illustrative case of the NSA (National Security Agency) that asserted to Americans that they would not try to access communication records for any purpose. As it turned out, the database of private conversations has been a device of the NSA for preventing terrorism. In brief, people suppose that any hacking presents devastation of privacy, as even the government could not be trusted.
Need for government surveillance
Nevertheless, government surveillance exists for helping people rather than harming them. Specifically, hackers that blackmail others or organize dangerous groupings could be said to entrench civil rights while having only vicious motives. The capture of the criminal Buster Hernandez that threatened minors and spread child pornography on the Internet, has been due to the power of surveillance, for example. Thus, the government should maintain public safety by hacking on conditions of trust and transparency. In this view, the surveillance may be reasonably helpful and even necessary.
References
Edelstein, M., Lee, L. M., Herten-Crabb, A., Heymann, D. L., & Harper, D. R. (2018). Strengthening global public health surveillance through data and benefit sharing. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 24(7), 1324–1330. Web.
Fazzini, K. (2019). Why some of the world’s top cybersecurity hackers are being paid millions to use their powers for good. CNBC. Web.
Li, C. Y., Huang, C. C., Lai, F., Lee, S. L., & Wu, J. (2018). A comprehensive overview of government hacking worldwide. IEEE Access, 6, 55053–55073. Web.
Lin, J., Carter, L., & Liu, D. (2021). Privacy concerns and digital government: Exploring citizen willingness to adopt the COVIDSafe app. European Journal of Information Systems, 1–14.
Satter, R. (2020). U.S. court: Mass surveillance program exposed by Snowden was illegal. Reuters.
United States Department of Justice. (2021). Child predator and cyberterrorist, Buster Hernandez, aka “BrianKil.” Web.