The internet surveillance of United State (US) can be dated back to World War One. However, it becomes more and more common after the 911, 2011 attacks. The most noticeable event of internet surveillance is the PRISM program which monitors the telecommunication and stored data in large scale. The program comes to light as the former contractor of National Security Agency (NSA), Edward Snowden, leaked that information to the press. This article will analyse the reason why US government has to implement such large scale of the mass surveillance program and how the public reacts to it. Also, it will discuss the surveillance situation in the US now.
History of surveillance
NSA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) are the main intelligent services to carry out surveillance program. The NSA was set up in 1952 by President Harry Truman in order to organise all the surveillance activities after World War 2. In 1935, the FBI had grown into an independent agency. The main difference between the NSA and the FBI is that FBI is responsible for prosecution as well while the NSA is only responsible for collect and analyse data.
After the 911, 2011 attacks, the surveillance in the US was escalated. The Protect America Act was launched on 2007 in order to allow the intelligence services monitor foreign targets without the warrant requirement and the court approval. In 2005, the New York Times revealed that Bush secretly authorised the National Security Agency to eavesdrop on Americans and others inside the United States to search for evidence of terrorist activity without the court-approved warrants when he was the president in 2005.
We will come together to strengthen our intelligence capabilities to know the plans of terrorists before they act and to find them before they strike.
President Bush, 2001.
PRISM program
In 2013, the large scale of mass surveillance program disclosed by the former contractor for the NSA, Edward Snowden. PRISM is a system the NSA uses to gain access to the private communications of users of popular Internet services such as Facebook, Google and Dropbox. The NSA access was enabled by changes to US surveillance law introduced under President Bush and renewed under Obama in December 2012. The US government claimed that data is only collected with court approval and for specific targets.
The purpose of the program is to collect data of foreign communication and combat terrorism. However, according to The Washington Post, the NSA would sometimes collect information from US citizens. The materials of PRISM distributed to the new trainees stated that ‘it’s nothing to worry about’ if they accidentally collect U.S. content. The US government is accused to be violated the constitutional rights of US citizens.
Reaction towards PRISM
After the disclosure of PRISM, companies suspected to be given data of users to the US government have different responses. Facebook claimed that do not provide any government organisation with direct access to Facebook servers.
When Facebook is asked for data or information about specific individuals, we carefully scrutinise any such request for compliance with all applicable laws and provide information only to the extent required by law.
Google said that the company cares deeply about the security of our users’ data.
We disclose user data to government in accordance with the law, and we review all such requests carefully. From time to time, people allege that we have created a government ‘back door’ into our systems, but Google does not have a backdoor for the government to access private user data.
For Apple, the company replied that they never heard of PRISM. They would not provide direct access to government to their servers. Apple also reaffirmed that any government services must get the court order to request the users’ data.
As the program aimed to monitor foreign countries, different countries had different responses to the program. German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s cellphone was said to be monitor under the PRISM program. She called President Obama and said that ‘Spying among friends is never acceptable.’
The European Data Processing Supervisor issued a statement indicating concern over ‘the possible serious implications for the privacy and other fundamental rights of EU citizens.’
According to the new Snowden Documents published by The New York Times, the NSA is accused to be continuing to conduct mass surveillance of the US internet to find cyberattacks in 2015.
Apple vs FBI
In 2015 to 2016, the FBI requested Apple Inc. to unlock the iPhone of Syed Farook, the suspect in San Bernardino shooting which caused the death of 14 people. Apple Inc. refused the request and issued a statement to their customers saying that encryption is key to protecting user data from hackers.
Once created, the technique could be used over and over again, on any number of devices. In the physical world, it would be the equivalent of a master key, capable of opening hundreds of millions of locks.
The Apple chief executive Tim Cook also claimed that in order to protect freedom and liberty in the US, the company would oppose the order from FBI. However, the FBI found methods to unlock the iPhone by themselves before the day of hearing supposed to be held.
In conclusion, the US government implement strict surveillance laws and program in the countries in order to combat terrorism. However, the government should not cross the line of privacy and should respect the citizens’ private lives.
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