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Joe Ahumada
Mrs. Steiner
English 10 H
24 November 2019
Personal Privacy vs. Public Safety: Is it worth it?

“I think there’s a desire to use (technology), and a desire to slow down. We want to know

exactly how it’s being used … so we don’t sacrifice too much privacy” stated data specialist

Paige Kowalski in the article “High-tech School Monitoring: Safety vs. Privacy.” The problem

today is giving up some privacy for some safety. Now, people have to answer the question, “Is it

worth it?” In America, the government has basic access to all of its citizens’ private information.

However, when gathering everyone’s information, the government can find criminals and

terrorists and prevent crimes from happening. Although some may say that citizens should not

trade personal privacy for public safety, this is wrong because allowing the government to

surveille the internet will continue to protect American citizens, expose others using the internet

for the wrong reasons, and not break the 4th amendment.

The government should continue to surveil internet activity and have access to the

information they have always had access to. The government surveillance system is ethical and

won’t harm citizens who have nothing illegal to hide. In “The Detroit Free Press - NSA

Surveillance Program Isn’t the Scandal You Think it is Op - Ed”, Chairman of the House

Intelligence Committee Mike Rogers states, “Both (Surveillance Programs) have produced vital

intelligence that has prevented dozens of terrorist attacks within the U.S. and around the world.”

These surveillance programs have saved hundreds maybe even thousands of lives just with the

access to all information, including phone records and tweets. The NSA’s programs help identify
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foreign terrorists and prevent attacks. It is worth sacrificing a certain amount of privacy to stop

these attacks. “There are also several layers of checks and balances put in place around these

programs within the executive branch and Congress. Both programs are overseen by lawyers and

compliance auditors from the Department of Justice, the director of national intelligence and

multiple independent inspectors general” says Mike Rogers. The NSA’s programs are not

participating in any illegal activity. The programs are overseen by the Congress to make sure that

nothing suspicious is happening. There is nothing to worry about knowing that the government

has access to the American citizens personal information.

Law-abiding citizens should have no fear when having to give up information. In “Your

Digital Trail: Does The Fourth Amendment Protect Us?” investigative journalist Daniel

Zwerdling brings up “agents at the Drug Enforcement Administration wondered if some of

Golden Valley's customers might be making or growing drugs in their homes. Drug dealers

sometimes use more electricity than normal, and their power consumption records can

potentially be a clue.” The government was able to get this information and presumably lock up

the criminals. This shows that if you are a law-abiding citizen, there is nothing to be scared of.

Forfeiting a little bit of privacy is worth protecting the innocent from drug abuse. Going back to

“The Detroit Free Press - NSA Surveillance Program Isn’t the Scandal You Think it is Op - Ed”,

Mike Rogers claims “They understand that these narrowly targeted programs are legal, do not

invade Americans' privacy rights, and are essential to detecting and disrupting future terrorist

attacks.” These programs aren’t going to affect American citizens who abide by the law. Their

information will just be brushed aside and ignored for the more important terrorist information.

These programs were only created to detect and disrupt future terrorist attacks.
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Some may say that the government is breaking the 4th amendment because the

government is “invading” the citizens privacy, however, the government is not breaking the 4th

amendment by using a subpoena to access this information. In “Your Digital Trail: Does The

Fourth Amendment Protect Us” the author Daniel Zwerdling states “since the 1960s and 1970s,

the Supreme Court and other courts have issued a series of rulings declaring that the government

does not need a search warrant to obtain your personal documents if you have already shared

them with somebody else,” meaning that if a citizen shares their information with a social media

company that is partnered with the government, the government will have access to that citizens

information. By using subpoenas, the government does not need probable cause to search a

citizens’ documents.Therefore, the government does not break the 4th amendment and illegally

have knowledge on a person's private information.

Even though American citizens believe that trading personal privacy for public safety is

wrong, they should be informed because allowing the government to surveille the internet will

continue to protect those citizens, expose terrorism and criminals who use the internet, and not

break the 4th amendment while doing so. So, is it worth it? That’s for you to decide. However,

for all of the people who believe in safety over privacy, spread the message to a fellow friend or

family member who disagrees.

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Bibliography

Zwerdling, Daniel. “Your Digital Trail: Does The Fourth Amendment Protect Us?” NPR,

NPR, 2 Oct. 2013,

https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2013/10/02/228134269/your-digital-trail-does-th

e-fourth-amendment-protect-us.

“High-Tech School Monitoring: Safety vs. Privacy.” Newsela,

https://newsela.com/read/stu

Rogers, Mike. “The Detroit Free Press - NSA Surveillance Program Isn't the Scandal You

Think It Is.” Vote Smart, 16 June 2013,

https://votesmart.org/public-statement/792995/the-detroit-free-press-nsa-surveillance-program-is

nt-the-scandal-you-think-it-is#.XdoZNuhKiUk.