Almost two years have passed since the National Security Agency’s (NSA) global internet surveillance program was uncovered. The initial reaction by the public was divided, with some people supporting the programs because they believed the benefits were greater than their flaws, and others opposing them because they thought the consequences didn’t justify the gain. Now that there’s been time to process the information, we can clearly look at the effects it’s had on privacy, the American tech economy, and international relations.
The NSA runs a wide range of programs that allow them to gather information directly from websites, home computers, and anywhere between the two. Washington Post reporter Andrea Peterson says, “…it seem[s] like there is hardly anything the NSA isn’t doing.” For most people, me included, this won’t have any effect on their daily lives. But for people like journalists that are “critics of the government,” this brings the risk of, “discrimination, coercion, and the threat of selective enforcement,” according to Neil Richards from the Harvard Law Review. Pervasive surveillance can stifle voices that would otherwise speak out against people in positions of power.
The internet is a resource shared by many countries, and while websites aren’t restricted by physical borders, they are limited by the laws of the countries they are operating in. Out of the 904 million websites on the internet, the U.S. owns 505 million, which is 56%. The next highest is Japan, with 64 million or 7% (CIA). With so much of the internet controlled by America, the policies the U.S. sets affects the way the whole world uses the internet.
Some countries have tried to avoid putting data in the hands of U.S. based companies by requiring that they store all their citizen’s data on servers within their own country. This puts strain on companies like Google and Microsoft which have massive amounts of data that can’t easily be sorted (Miller). Some countries take the extreme side and completely cut all business ties with the American companies, like the German government, which cancelled a contract with Verizon and instead hired a local telecommunications company for a government project. Forbes claims that over the next three years U.S. based cloud computing services could lose between $35 billion to $180 billion to overseas alternatives with stricter privacy laws.
Foreign governments are concerned over their own citizen’s privacy, and the news that the U.S. government was monitoring their communications upset some countries. Initially, European countries did not do very much after the leaks, but recently the European Parliament has started to draft laws strictly enforcing data protection for all citizens. In an effort to create independence from the U.S., the Brazilian government has begun designing an underwater fiber-optic connection between Europe and South America, which will bypass North America (Scola). This will economically impact U.S. companies, but it’s much more significant as a political statement.
Surveillance is a necessary part of national security, but using these tools indiscriminately only hurts the U.S. in the end. Responsible and effective surveillance can prevent attacks from happening while maintaining privacy. With the increasing risks posed by terrorist groups, hackers, and other threats, there’s a need for strong preventative security, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of our rights.
The NSA’s surveillance program raises some issues, but they can all be solved with effective laws that protect the privacy of citizens. Technological advancements will always outpace the speed of government, but taking basic measures like guaranteeing data protection for all citizens will make a good ground to start on. Laws like these will prevent abuses that could endanger our political system, will set an example for the rest of the world to follow.
Works Cited
Richards, Neil M. “The Dangers of Surveillance.” The Dangers of Surveillance. Harvard Law Review, 20 May 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Peterson, Andrea. “Here’s What We Learned about the NSA’s Spying Programs in 2013.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 31 Dec. 2013. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
CIA World Factbook. “Country Comparison :: Internet Hosts.” Central Intelligence Agency. Central Intelligence Agency, 2012. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Eoyang, Mieke, and Gabriel Horwitz. “NSA Snooping’s Negative Impact On Business Would Have The Founding Fathers ‘Aghast'” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 20 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.
Miller, Claire C. “Google Pushes Back Against Data Localization.” New York Times. New York Times, 24 Jan. 2014. Web. 17 Mar. 2015.
Scola, Nancy. “Brazil Begins Laying Its Own Internet Cables to Avoid U.S. Surveillance.” Washington Post. The Washington Post, 3 Nov. 2014. Web. 16 Mar. 2015.
