Most critics of surveillance argue about how it is an abuse of power, a violation of people 's privacy, and most importantly, unconstitutional, while proponents of surveillance claim the benefit of surveillance is a reduction in the probability of high-cost events such as terrorism. Government surveillance programs, when conducted in controlled situations and closely audited by independent organizations, do not directly harm innocent civilians, especially when they benefit the safety of the general public.
Surveillance, by definition, is the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime. If that definition was used when discussing the issue of government surveillance, most public safety activities,…