Wiretapping and why obama is for it - Assignment Example

Wiretapping and why Obama is for it Wiretapping is a technology used by third parties to monitor conversations taking place via telephone or internet platforms. Wiretapping is usually done by covert and secret means. However, wiretapping may also be done legally by authorized government agencies (Rahavy 88). The President of the United States, Barack Obama, supports legal wiretapping for a number of reasons. Even though Obama promised not to spy on civilians who were not suspects of any crime, he seems to be in support of legal wiretapping.

Obama signed into law the extension of the authority of the US government to monitor the activities of suspected terrorists and foreign spies. This authority was extended for five years from 2013. Other communication platforms that would be affected by this law include Facebook and Google. The law stipulates that the government should be allowed to review messages sent via the platforms from time to time, at will. Obama is for wiretapping because his government aims at expanding communications assistance for the Law Enforcement Act.

This law requires carriers of networks and phones to include interception capacities into their systems. Obama is for wiretapping because he believes the FBI will be given the ability to carry out online eavesdropping that is approved by the court. This way, the FBI has the ability to monitor the communication of suspects, even as new communication technologies continue to evolve. Obama is for wiretapping because he believes that it can assist law enforcement authorities to identify and deal with unlawful or terrorist activities (Rasch 1).

The effects of wiretapping are that it can be used as a means to combat terrorism. The government’s support of legal wiretapping is based on the premises that security will be improved. However, wiretapping has been faced by many ethical issues, with many claiming that their rights to privacy and other liberties will be infringed on if wiretapping is allowed (Rahavy 88).Works CitedRahavy, S. K. “The Federal Wiretap Act: The Permissible Scope of.” Journal of High Technology Law, 2.1 (2003): 87-100. Web. Rasch, M.

“Wiretapping, FISA, and the NSA. The Register January 2006. Web.