American citizens were recently shocked to find out that the National Security Agency, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Central Intelligence Agency have been conducting surveillance operations on some of their activities in the name of terrorism prevention. These operations have been conducted without warrants, creating concerns about online privacy and the personal rights of citizens. The surveillance program—named PRISM—also involved the collection of credit card data, telephone records, and information from Apple, Google, and Facebook.
The actions of the National Security Agency and the other agencies involved have created an international firestorm of controversy regarding online privacy and the constitutionality of government spying. Keith Alexander, director of the National Security Agency, says that the PRISM program has helped foil fifty terror plots, ten of which targeted the United States. One of the foiled plots involved an attack on the New York Stock Exchange that could have crippled the U.S. economy.
The surveillance program also uncovered information that helped officials derail plans for three other attacks that could have had a major impact on U.S. citizens. One of those plans involved setting off a bomb in the New York City subway system. The program also helped officials stop a suspected terrorist from bombing a Danish newspaper office. The deputy director of the National Security Agency, John Inglis, said twenty-two agency members are authorized to search the cell phone records of American citizens without obtaining warrants.
Whether the surveillance was justified or not, it still raises serious concerns about privacy and personal rights in the Information Age. Part of the PRISM program involved collecting data from technology companies such as Facebook and Apple, although Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook denies knowing anything about the data collection. The controversy has even prompted companies like Google to file requests to disclose information related to PRISM, including the scope of the data-collection program and the number of user accounts targeted for investigation. In its filing, Google representatives argued that the company should be allowed to disclose such information under the rights outlined in the First Amendment.
Edward Snowden, the National Security Agency whistleblower who leaked information about the surveillance program, is on the run. Senator Dianne Feinstein thinks he should be prosecuted for treason; other people consider him a hero. Some government officials believe the leak has done serious harm to the anti-terror efforts of the United States and its allies.
Business professionals should pay close attention to this story as it unravels, as it could have real implications for the way the National Security Agency collects data from tech companies and other types of businesses. The program also has ethical implications, as it is difficult to balance the desire to prevent terrorist attacks with the rights afforded to American citizens by the Constitution of the United States.
(Photo courtesy of stuart miles / freedigitalphotos.net)
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