Edward Snowden and The Government Data Collection Program

Lon 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. This has provoked the public to question the credibility of the government. It has also stirred politicians and citizens alike into a frenzy, debating over the legality, constitutionality, and necessity of these covert operations. Edward Snowdens revelations on the NSA data†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Anyone who has made a call, sent a text, or done anything on the internet has their information filed into a database†(Hertzburg 1). With all this archivation and collection of data from average American citizens, the question has been asked, â€Å"is this constitutional?† In 2012 FISA was renewed again and it will expire in 2017. The White House says until then, Prism and its data harvesting are still legal. The government though, has reacted in many different ways. General Keith Alexander, director of the NSA, says, â€Å"it’s completely legal and says it keeps Americans safe†(Bucci). Other political groups, like Florida based activist group Freedom Watch have said, â€Å"The NSA’s actions are illegal and Prism violates the constitution†(Kelion 3). The 4th amendment of the constitution prohibits â€Å"unreasonable searches and seizures†. If you believe the average American citizen is a probable suspect for terrorism then Prism is constitutional. The group has filed a lawsuit against president Obama and several high ranking officials of the NSA(Savage). Obama initially su pported the NSA’s actions 100% but recently has changed his stance. He has announced that he has come up with a proposal that will â€Å"end the aspect that most alarmed Americans†, the collection of calling data and habits. This reform gives the implication that it will stop the â€Å"NSA’s largest area of dataShow MoreRelatedPreserving Liberty1743 Words   |  7 Pages â€Å"When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny† stands for all to see. Beneath Jefferson’s wise words, the artist has declared Edward Snowden and Julian Assange heroes. 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