Internet Wiretapping
The ability of the government to mandate the creation of software that can intercept and unscramble messages that are encrypted and the capacity to serve wiretap orders on social media sites like Facebook and Skype may have raised concerns twenty or thirty years ago, but today, such an expansion of law enforcement power is necessary to protect the ever-changing technologically advanced society in which we live today. The invasion into privacy through the use of internet surveillance must be weighed against the security of the nation. With the requirement of warrants, and merely an expansion of authority already existing in other media areas, wiretapping of the internet by the government is a necessary expansion of the government’s surveillance powers.
The inability of the government to detect encrypted messages sent over the internet by Jihadists in 2001, led to a massive attack on the United States of America. Terrorists and other organized crime groups have made us of the internet and the ability to encrypt messages to carry out crimes throughout the world. Crimes that once required discussion via the telephone or broadband networks, can now be instantaneous and without detection. This is a serious threat to national security.
In drafting the U.S. Constitution, the founding fathers ensured Americans were afforded individual rights that the new settlers lacked under the British government. Although the right to privacy is not written specifically into the Bill of Rights, it is assumed through other rights. The right to privacy has become expected and admired by the American citizens. But, what is the value of privacy when compared to national security?
It seems that living under a democratic government in a relatively safe environment is more important than having the ability to communicate regarding criminal matters without detection. Balancing privacy and national security should therefore be quite simple. The personal affairs of individuals who engage in illegal behavior should not be protected. Without the creation of some mechanism to conduct needed surveillance, America could suffer another attack similar to, or even worse than, that which occurred on 9/11/01.
EXPANSION OF AUTHORITY
Providing the government with the authority to wiretap internet communications, is simply an extension of the authority that the government already has in other areas of media. The interception is not new to Americans as telephones and broadband networks already. With the creation of the internet and involvement of terrorists on the internet, the government must have the ability to investigate and conduct surveillance when there is suspected crime occurring. With the evolution of technology in American society, there must be an equal evolution in the ability to fight crime. The government would like to disallow encryption systems that do not have decryption abilities. The government wants a “back door” if needed. This back door is not any different than the authority law enforcement already possesses.
WARRANT REQUIRMENT
Those who oppose the allowance of internet wiretapping allege that the government is going too far into the invasion of privacy of citizens. The government is not seeking to intercept all messages sent by all private citizens in America. The government is seeking authority to ask for a court ordered warrant to instill wiretap into communications by suspected criminals.
CONCLUSION
An expansion of law enforcement power is necessary to protect the ever-changing technologically advanced society in which we live today. The invasion into privacy through the use of internet surveillance is not outweighed by the security of the nation. The government is only seeking to expand authority already existing in other media areas. And, law enforcement must have a warrant to instill the wiretap. Therefore, internet wiretapping is not dangerous, it is a necessary expansion of the government’s surveillance powers.
Works Cited
Castelvecchi, Davide. Would Wiretapping Laws Spell the End of Quantum Encryption? 1 October 2010. <http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/wiretapping-quantum-encryption/>.
Savage, Charlie. U.S. Tries to Make It Easier to Wiretap the Internet. 2010 September 2010. <http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/27/us/27wiretap.html?_r=1>.
