Edward Snowden, hero or traitor? Snowden was a 29 year old National Security Agency whistleblower who revealed the U.S government secret metadata collection program. The program consisted of the government requiring phone providers give them all access to private phone data without any warrant or any authority to do so. He is a hero because he was only trying to protect american citizen’s rights to privacy, he also helped us become aware of what our government is actually doing and he revealed illegal government programs.
First off, Snowden was trying to ensure that americans were given their inalienable rights that we are entitled to at birth. The leaks he provided tell us that the U.S government has the power to seize the nation’s phone …show more content…
Snowden’s revealing of the metadata collection program may have been a breach in trust ,but it was a great public service for america. Like others before him such as Daniel Ellsberg who released the pentagon papers, and mordechai vanunu who revealed the existence of weapons in israel. “Snowden has brought to light important information that deserved to be in the public domain, while doing no lasting harm to the national security” (The New Yorker). This shows that Snowden was only trying to give us an insight on the government we live in and in no way wanted to cause harm to our country. Snowden had information about everything the government does. The leaks could have been worst, they could have contained the U.S plans on foreign countries or anything else the N.S.A doesn't want the world knowing but he did not release anything that could have caused a real harm to our …show more content…
They were able to collected the data with no search warrant which is illegal. As it says in the 4th amendment “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized”(Cornell University Law School). However the sole reason for the metadata collection program was to benefit the military. We pose no threat to the military or the country so the program is just an invasion of our privacy. Snowden told the Guardian and The Washington Post, “the N.S.A has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. With their capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting. If I wanted to see your emails or your wife's phone, all I have to do is use intercepts. I can get your emails, passwords, phone records , credit card.” Reading that just worried me because most people had no idea the government is actually up to until snowden leaked the confidential information. He is a hero in my eyes he basically went against the government's trust and also had to flee the country just to let us americans know about the government's illegal
First off, Snowden was trying to ensure that americans were given their inalienable rights that we are entitled to at birth. The leaks he provided tell us that the U.S government has the power to seize the nation’s phone …show more content…
Snowden’s revealing of the metadata collection program may have been a breach in trust ,but it was a great public service for america. Like others before him such as Daniel Ellsberg who released the pentagon papers, and mordechai vanunu who revealed the existence of weapons in israel. “Snowden has brought to light important information that deserved to be in the public domain, while doing no lasting harm to the national security” (The New Yorker). This shows that Snowden was only trying to give us an insight on the government we live in and in no way wanted to cause harm to our country. Snowden had information about everything the government does. The leaks could have been worst, they could have contained the U.S plans on foreign countries or anything else the N.S.A doesn't want the world knowing but he did not release anything that could have caused a real harm to our …show more content…
They were able to collected the data with no search warrant which is illegal. As it says in the 4th amendment “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized”(Cornell University Law School). However the sole reason for the metadata collection program was to benefit the military. We pose no threat to the military or the country so the program is just an invasion of our privacy. Snowden told the Guardian and The Washington Post, “the N.S.A has built an infrastructure that allows it to intercept almost everything. With their capability, the vast majority of human communications are automatically ingested without targeting. If I wanted to see your emails or your wife's phone, all I have to do is use intercepts. I can get your emails, passwords, phone records , credit card.” Reading that just worried me because most people had no idea the government is actually up to until snowden leaked the confidential information. He is a hero in my eyes he basically went against the government's trust and also had to flee the country just to let us americans know about the government's illegal