So this whole PRISM fiasco has been all over the technological news airways now for a couple of days, and I honestly don’t quite understand what everyone’s up in arms about. I find it funny people seem to believe online privacy is really a thing. What’s even more laughable is that people actually seem genuinely surprised to find out that the government has been electronically snooping.
In an effort to squash overblown rumors about what PRISM was actually up to, the NSA has declassified documentation pertaining to PRISM’s objectives and on-goings. Apparently, select members of Congress were briefed on the project’s status 13 times since 2009. These meetings didn’t discuss specifics but told said Congress members just how much digital information the government was capable of obtaining.
The Reality of Online Privacy
I’m not a conspiracy theorist or anything but come on people! We live in the Information Age, which is practically personified by the internet, and we have intelligence agencies whose job is to know anything and everything. Did you really think they weren’t going to tap into the internet – a bottomless pit of information?
The concept of online privacy has always been somewhat of a myth. From the moment you log onto the internet, your data is being tracked, analyzed, and stored by various entities, including corporations and governments. Social media platforms, search engines, and even e-commerce sites collect vast amounts of data about your habits, preferences, and activities. This data is often used for targeted advertising, but it can also be accessed by government agencies for surveillance purposes.
Government Surveillance and Public Reaction
The public reaction to the PRISM revelations highlights a significant disconnect between what people believe about their online privacy and the reality of government surveillance. Many people were shocked to learn that the government had such extensive access to their digital communications. However, this should not have been surprising given the history of government surveillance programs.
For example, the Patriot Act, enacted after the September 11 attacks, significantly expanded the government’s surveillance capabilities. It allowed for the collection of metadata, which includes information about who you communicate with, when, and for how long. While the content of the communications was not collected under the Patriot Act, the metadata alone can provide a detailed picture of a person’s social network and activities.
Moreover, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) allows the government to conduct surveillance on foreign targets without a warrant. PRISM, as part of the broader FISA program, was designed to collect data from major tech companies like Google, Facebook, and Apple. These companies were compelled to provide the government with access to their servers, allowing for the collection of emails, chat logs, and other digital communications.
The revelations about PRISM have sparked a broader debate about the balance between national security and individual privacy. While some argue that such surveillance programs are necessary to protect against terrorism and other threats, others believe that they represent a significant infringement on civil liberties.
The PRISM controversy serves as a reminder that online privacy is largely an illusion. In an age where data is the new currency, both corporations and governments have a vested interest in collecting as much information as possible. While it is important to have safeguards in place to protect individual privacy, it is equally important to be realistic about the extent to which our digital lives are being monitored.
Source – The Verge
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