Do you think it is right for the government to tap our phone lines, read our mail, and see our text messages?
102672
Unless you are engaging in activity that could be construed as aiding and abetting terrorism, I think you are being overly paranoid.\n\nThe government is engaging in those activities, but it has more to do with data mining. The government has a program called Tempest that is capable of monitoring electronics within the nation, but it does not do so arbitarily. Tempest runs in the background. When certain key phrases come up (for instance, "I want to kill the President"), Tempest roars to life and signals agents that someone to watch out for has been identified.\n\nThe government does not just arbitrarily say, "I think I'm gonna listen in on Sam's conversation tonight and see what pops up." That is like finding a needle in a haystack.
639222
Last time I checked, over 60% of americans approve of warrantless spying by the gov't.  Oh well, we get the gov't we deserve.  \n\nMore americans should read 1984, Animal Farm and a history of the US Constitution.  They would change their attitude.
676354
Absolutely. They should be encouraged to see the way our Parliament system / senate is run and how the actions of politics affects our lives.
888196
Reception, Yes!  The government may not like it, but it would be impossible to stop.  Transmitting would be another thing, since transmissions give off energy which can be triangulated (three other detection devices) to spot your location.  Short bursts from a mobile transmitter would be very difficult to trace.  Most foreign embassies communicate this way, so transmitting near a foreign embassy could be a solution.
512026
In reference to surveiling anyone at any time for no reason, this would be wrong.\n\nHOWEVER\n\nIf in reference to surveiling when whomever you are talking to is a known or highly suspected terrorist, I say snoop away in the name of national security. It has been a long practice in war to intercept enemy communications. Whether it be from radio transmisions in WWII, or letter interception in WWI and the Spanish American War. Courier interception in the Revolution, or whatever. It is the duty of the intel community to gather any and all information possible to defeat the enemy in time of war.\n\nNow as for suspected criminal activity, the proper legal channels must be gone through. Warrants, guidelines, laws, etc.
1120683
Yes and I wish they would at least put up their contact email...I think that should be required...in order to find out why they left the message in first place.
627289
First off, who's "Asama?" Lucky the government hasn't started recording how often Americans make spelling errors... the terrorists might find out how illiterate the average American is :-p \n\nAlso, there's a big difference between voluntarily applying for credit cards and grocery store cards (and those companies using that information for marketing purposes) and the government secretly keeping track of who you call. It's not just a matter of "Don't call any terrorists and you'll be fine..." It's a matter of being able to control your personal information. When you apply for a credit card, you are willingly giving up personal information... and those companies have certain rules about HOW they can use that information, that they are required and willingly let you know about (and if you bother to read the terms of service they give you, you know what those rules are).  But, no one who made a phone call between September 11th and now had any idea that the government was keeping track of who they called and how often... and they certainly didn't consent to it. I'm not worried about the government breaking down my door because I know I haven't done anything wrong. But, it's a matter of the government crossing a line they had no right to cross. A peeping tom or even just a nosy neighbor looking in your window may not be hurting you in any way that can be measured, but wouldn't you feel violated just by the thought that they were watching you without your knowing, without your consent? Americans are hurt and angry about this because they feel violated and wonder, what's next?
266490
no, any more than they should have the right to listen in on my phone conversations, sift through my trash, or stand outside my window at night with a cup up against my wall.\n\nit's privacy, and it's reasonable to expect it while you're in the comfort of your own home.  any invasions of my privacy are not explained to my satisfaction by someone's excuse that they are doing it to 'protect me'.  i feel i have a right to be free from 'unreasonable searches and seizures', and monitoring my online communication IS unreasonable, in my book.
462682
As individuals we have rights. We have a right to privacy, and this include our DNA. Besides why would the government want to keep track of something so personal for everyone in the country. \n\nBesides, the government has a bad track record of cover ups and basically not playing above the board, how could they (the government)expect us (he people) to trust them with such sensitive information. As far AS I AM CONCERNED I BELIEVE THEY WOULD DO SOMETHING UNETHICAL WITH THE INFORMATION, LIKE CLONING TO BREED SOME SORT OF GOD KNOWS WHAT. THAT'S WHY THEY SHOULD NOT BE PRIVY TO EVERYTHING. ITS LIKE INVITING STRANGERS INTO YOUR BEDROOM, OR IN THIS CASE, YOUR BODY. ITS JUST NOT A GOOD IDEA!
955740
IT IS NOT SECURE, The technology it will be based on has been cracked ALREADY!\n\nIt will FAIL in it's intended purpose, cost a FORTUNE and not work!\n\nApart from the very valid civil liberty concerns (completely reversing the relationship between citizen and state making the state the master and the citizen a tagged serf), and the idea that this means that for the first time all innocent citizens will be in effect asking for the state's permission to exist in their own country. tagged, tracked, monitored, spied on at all times. \n\nThis is a chilling trend, Government becoming more and more secretive whilst expecting the electorate to be ever more open to intrusive privacy destroying spying from the state. \n\nExcuse me big brother state, but what I do, and who I am, and where I go, so long as it is all legal, IS NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!!!\n\nBut even allowing for those arguments, the technology will not work and it will be a massively expensive, unethical, immoral failure.\n\nRead the news story below. It cannot work to stop crime as it has already been hacked!\n\nBTW to the ignorant and dangerously stupid woman who anwered above stating that any action that stops even 1 crime is worth it??? Hand yourself in to the police now, it may stop you commiting a crime! Would you approve of the police locking up everyone, as if we were all in prison already, we would not be able to commit a crime at all?
1039069
Ethically, it's not okay for anyone to invade the privacy of an innocent person.  It's stupid and potentially dangerous to stalk celebrities, and many suits have been brought against various photographers and publications.  However, we have the right to know what the government is doing-- because it's with our money.  Governments steal from us, then use the fruits of their theft against us.\nAnyone arguing that the 4th Amendment protects our privacy from the government is living under a rock.  The 4th has been effectively nullified by SSNs, gun records, increasing search & seizure to look for a "probable cause", phone tapping, and the fact that the government is so vast and powerful that businesses are being forced to collude with bureaucrats and hand over what little privacy we had left.
547105
Certainly. What's wrong with them having the information?
1260
The government should have the right to observe citizens. The NSA's mission is just that: to observe electronically criminal and terrorist interests. It is largely unlikely that a Big Brother society will develop as a result of this: the government will never have enough resources to listen in on everyone, nor would they want to. \n\nElectronic bugging has caught many criminals where standard investigations failed. These men include John Gotti, other Mafia dons, terrorists, and organized crime rings. It is an essential part of law enforcement and must continue.
151687
ABSOLUTELY NOT! Even though I am a teenager and live for text messaging, there are just some cirumstances that are non-negotiable. It is sad enough that we live in a "point and click" world. I believe this has created a fear of networking within people. Therefore, we MUST keep the remaining forms of communication alive and APPROPRIATE. We CANNOT afford for our language to be destroyed by slang.
503248
I can assure you that we daily users are not having our emails read by the gov't.  There are though, agency computers that can pick up the URL's of computers using keywords that are of gov't interest ( terror...child porn and so on ). Hope this puts ur mind at ease about the regular daily activities.
133619
Yeah right-- you will really get an expert opinion here.\n\nEr, I mean, yes, I am an MD.\n\nNo drug testing! Spying is not OK!\n\nI know all you youngsters out there with your drug tests and cameras in school think spying on you is normal, but it is NOT OK.\n\nEver read 1984? No? Go read it. Better yet, I'll save you some time: in the future, the government watches your every move to make sure you act the "correct" way and have the "correct" thoughts. How does this happen, I wonder? Because the people let it happen.\n\nDon't let it happen.
362885
I assume that when you text message someone, you are doing it from a cell phone company website, right? Usually they track and monitor IP addresses (your computer's location essentially), and would know what message comes from where. But to divulge that type of information, they need a good reason, for example, threatening messages and such.