What Is More Important: Our Privacy or National Security - Essay Example

The first law about National Security appeared in 1947 and it had to protect national interests and to guarantee personal, social, and governmental development. It is obligatory to be flexible, changing the laws, inventing new security measures, and implementing new organizations if required in order to improve the quality of life and to strengthen security. Collection of the information is necessary to have a chance to warn possible threatens as terrorism scares more than a message on your phone, read by another person.

Meanwhile, the American government is working on laws to protect the cyber life of its citizens. Mullikin and Rahman outlined that “most of the people who live in the United States want to believe that our government will do no harm and that they try to stop terrorists through checks and balances, laws, and Congress” (34). As people are totally against the invasion into their personal lives, recent scandals with Snowden highlighted the attention of the whole world. According to the Constitution of the United States, people have the right to privacy described in the 4th Amendment which was interfered with by the government.

But to provide sufficient protection for American citizens, all the suspicious issues should be investigated. In 2013 domestic spying was officially confirmed as well as the information that a huge database was created after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. To oppose, I would like to point to the fact that that some other terrorist attacks were prevented. Moreover, “the NSA program is narrowly focused, aimed only at international calls and targeted at al Qaeda and related groups.

Safeguards are in place to protect the civil liberties of ordinary Americans” (“The NSA Program to Detect and Prevent Terrorist Attacks” 2). The government is a guarantor of its citizens’ rights for privacy, which includes a statement about confidential information, but privacy cannot exist in a country without national security.Terrorists are using the same means of communication as all the other people that is why it should be under control. It does not bring excitement, what is natural, but there are a few recommendations on how to protect yourself from domestic spying.

It is highly advised to disconnect the Internet on the computer or laptop every time when there is no need to use it. Quite a lot of people never turn their computers off, thinking that it is not obligatory, but there can’t be any minor things when safety is required. The best preventive measures are a reliable antivirus program and an increased focus on people from a virtual world. “DHS [Department of Homemade Security] is leading a national public awareness effort called Stop. Think. Connect. to inform the American public of the need to strengthen cybersecurity and to provide practical tips to help Americans increase their safety and security online” (“Consumer Data Privacy in a Networked World” 44).