The opinions of average people on Edward Snowden are extremely polarized. Some people paint Snowden as a hero, loyal to democracy and exposing the evils of big government (“Securing Our Libery” 5). Other people label him as a traitor, endangering the lives of United States citizens and soldiers, since the enemy now knows more about our intelligence system (Walsh 11). It is worth mentioning though, that even though Snowden says that he did everything to protect democracy in the nation he loves, he has chosen to take refuge in Hong Kong and Russia, countries that aren’t exactly known for their focus on democratic ideals (“Securing Our Liberty” 5).
Poster showing the public support for Edward Snowden and his leaking of information regarding NSA programs.
(Flood np)
Edward Snowden is also a huge topic of discussion within the United States government itself. Some big figures like John Boehner, Speaker of the House, speak out against Snowden, saying that we are at risk because of him and that his actions have endangered millions of Americans (Walsh 11). Many others in the…
One example is the FISA Amendments Act, specifically Section 702 which specifically allows for the collection of online data by the NSA (Drum 33). This was originally signed by George W. Bush in 2008, and it was renewed by President Barack Obama for five years in 2012 (Vicens 29). Another law regarding surveillance is the Stored Communications Act. Primarily, the SCA has been used to justify the storage of emails, but the storage of IP addresses was also justified in one court case involving inappropriate content being sent from a Yahoo! account. (“National Security Agency Surveillance Overview” np). There are countless other laws and court cases that mold and shape the idea of government surveillance, as just about anything involving the government’s access to information online can change the game…