Forward:
When Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA was spying on us in 2012, I expected people to be outraged. I expected a massive public backlash that would lead to reform. By and large, the public’s reaction has been underwhelming. For one reason or another, government surveillance is a topic that many people don’t know about or don’t talk about. I’ve talked to people about surveillance before, and many of them were unaware of key details about it. Some were simply unaware that government surveillance occurs at all. The purpose of this project is to make people aware of surveillance and to show them the harmful effects that surveillance can have. In order to do that, I have to provide some background.
First, I need to explain encryption. Encryption is a fundamental part of today’s technology. It allows for secure exchange of data between two or more parties. Every time you buy something online or log in to your Facebook account, encryption keeps your credit card details and password safe. It does this by scrambling the information before sending it. Using a special set of tools, your computer (or smartphone) mixes up your credit card number so that only …show more content…
In the story, an innocent man suffers unjustly for the crimes that others commit. This story is set in a United States of America much like our own, but with a few structure and policy changes to the government. I would argue that the country depicted in the story is what we will become if surveillance continues unchecked. Obviously, this is an extremely complicated issue. I encourage you to do your own research and form your own opinions. But above all else, remember that merely using encryption does not make someone a dangerous criminal. Even if you don’t know it, you benefit from encryption every day. Your right to privacy should not be violated just because other people are doing something
When Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA was spying on us in 2012, I expected people to be outraged. I expected a massive public backlash that would lead to reform. By and large, the public’s reaction has been underwhelming. For one reason or another, government surveillance is a topic that many people don’t know about or don’t talk about. I’ve talked to people about surveillance before, and many of them were unaware of key details about it. Some were simply unaware that government surveillance occurs at all. The purpose of this project is to make people aware of surveillance and to show them the harmful effects that surveillance can have. In order to do that, I have to provide some background.
First, I need to explain encryption. Encryption is a fundamental part of today’s technology. It allows for secure exchange of data between two or more parties. Every time you buy something online or log in to your Facebook account, encryption keeps your credit card details and password safe. It does this by scrambling the information before sending it. Using a special set of tools, your computer (or smartphone) mixes up your credit card number so that only …show more content…
In the story, an innocent man suffers unjustly for the crimes that others commit. This story is set in a United States of America much like our own, but with a few structure and policy changes to the government. I would argue that the country depicted in the story is what we will become if surveillance continues unchecked. Obviously, this is an extremely complicated issue. I encourage you to do your own research and form your own opinions. But above all else, remember that merely using encryption does not make someone a dangerous criminal. Even if you don’t know it, you benefit from encryption every day. Your right to privacy should not be violated just because other people are doing something