Earlier this year, Edward J. Snowden, a government contractor, leaked classified documents to the news media that revealed the existence of top-secret government surveillance programs.
We now know that the National Security Agency gathers phone logs and Internet data from millions of Americans as part of its mission to keep the United States safe. But has domestic spying gone too far?
What do you feel is more important: our privacy or national security?
In the article “Poll Finds Disapproval of Record Collection, but Little Personal Concern,” Allison Kopicki writes about the results of a June CBS News poll conducted after the first leaks by Mr. Snowden.
In the wake of the exposure of two classified surveillance operations, most Americans expressed disapproval about the United States government’s collecting phone records of “ordinary” Americans. Yet, most showed little concern about their own Internet activities or phone calls’ being monitored.
A majority, 57 percent, said that the leaks about the surveillance programs would not affect the ability of the United States to prevent future terrorist attacks, while 30 percent said the fact that the programs had been made public would weaken the government’s efforts to prevent terrorism.
According to a CBS News poll released Tuesday evening, nearly 6 in 10 Americans said they disapproved of the federal government’s collecting phone records of ordinary Americans in order to reduce terrorism. However, three-quarters said they approved of the government’s tracking phone records of Americans suspected of terrorist activity. Nearly the same number approved of the United States’ monitoring the Internet activities of people living in foreign countries.
Students: Answer the following questions and respond to at least TWO of your classmates responses.
We now know that the National Security Agency gathers phone logs and Internet data from millions of Americans as part of its mission to keep the United States safe. But has domestic spying gone too far?
What do you feel is more important: our privacy or national security?
In the article “Poll Finds Disapproval of Record Collection, but Little Personal Concern,” Allison Kopicki writes about the results of a June CBS News poll conducted after the first leaks by Mr. Snowden.
In the wake of the exposure of two classified surveillance operations, most Americans expressed disapproval about the United States government’s collecting phone records of “ordinary” Americans. Yet, most showed little concern about their own Internet activities or phone calls’ being monitored.
A majority, 57 percent, said that the leaks about the surveillance programs would not affect the ability of the United States to prevent future terrorist attacks, while 30 percent said the fact that the programs had been made public would weaken the government’s efforts to prevent terrorism.
According to a CBS News poll released Tuesday evening, nearly 6 in 10 Americans said they disapproved of the federal government’s collecting phone records of ordinary Americans in order to reduce terrorism. However, three-quarters said they approved of the government’s tracking phone records of Americans suspected of terrorist activity. Nearly the same number approved of the United States’ monitoring the Internet activities of people living in foreign countries.
Students: Answer the following questions and respond to at least TWO of your classmates responses.
- Would you rather the government err on the side of national security or privacy rights in its domestic surveillance programs? Why?
- How do you feel about the revelation that the government is collecting phone records and Internet data from millions of Americans? Why?
- What kind of information — like Web sites visited or phone numbers called — do you think the government should have access to in order to prevent future terrorist attacks? On the other hand, what information should the government not have access to, so that Americans’ privacy rights are not compromised?
- Do any of the findings in the poll above surprise you? Why or why not?