Edward Snowden's Influence on Internet
While moving his way up through the ranks as a system administrator for the NSA, Edward Snowden was exposed to massive amounts of information that most people would never lay eyes on. He decided that this type of information should not be hidden behind closed doors and that the people it effected needed to know what was really going on. In June 2013, he began to leak thousands of classified documents dealing with global surveillance programs that are used today. This caught the attention of millions and started a huge debate regarding the balance between national security and information privacy. A documentary was created on the exchange of these classified documents with Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras, two journalists, selected by Snowden himself, who would help him share this information with the world. One of the more startling facts that came out in the documentary was the realization that the United States had 1.3 million people on the "watch list." Meaning that 1 out of every 300 people are considered terrorists in the United States and are being watched very closely by the government. For me, this mind blowing statistic shows that the government is overusing their powers without us even knowing. This topic poses a thin line between right and wrong. Although it is an intrusion on the privacy of our citizens, it allows a more watchful eye on harmful online activities. My opinion on the matter is simple, let the government watch what I search on the internet. If I am not doing anything wrong, then I shouldn't feel the need to hide what I am doing. On the other hand, I don't think the government should have the ability to know private details of my personal life, such as when I take my dog out for a walk. This is exactly why this topic has been debated for so long, where do we draw the line?
