How Big Brother Watches America

Paper Summary:

A discussion of the pros and cons of surveillance in the United States, looking at whether more surveillance for protection against terrorism outweighs intrusion of one's privacy. The terrorist attacks on 9/11 saw an increase in surveillance and new laws passed concerning wire-tapping. The three characteristics of surveillance technology used to describe its various aspects, amplification, re-utilization, and sublimation are examined. The author investigates whether surveillance is ethical and if it could really have prevented past or prevent future terrorist attacks.

From the Paper:

"When Orson Wells wrote his famous novel about government surveillance taken to the extreme, the world he described seemed very unrealistic. However, at the turn of the new millenium, the world that he describes is not so different and it seems as if we are just one step away from the "thought police" knocking on the door. For some this gives them an extra-added element of security, but others see it as a serious infringement on their freedom.
Today, we are watched in a variety of ways. Every where you look, you see video cameras recording our every move. Wiretaps are frequent and devices that transmit over the air such as cell phones are easy targets for those trying to hone in on our private affairs. The government monitors our email and web surfing activities, our bank accounts, credit card accounts and almost anything else you can think of."

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