melissa-owens #2

INSTRUCTIONS: In this activity, you assume the role of a senator who has received a memo regarding the secret internet surveillance program, PRISM. You will review arguments for and against the program, decide whether you will support or oppose the continuation of it, and then provide a written explanation of your decision.

INTRODUCTION: To: Senator Brian Charlie Stefano

From: Matthew Tai, chief of staff

Subject: Internet surveillance

In 2007, the National Security Agency (NSA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) created a secret surveillance program, code-named PRISM, that—in conjunction with British intelligence agencies—gathered, tracked, and analyzed massive amounts of “private” data (audio and video chats, emails, and more) by directly searching the central servers of Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, and Apple. NSA contractor Edward Snowden leaked classified information about the program to journalists in 2013, and some people questioned whether it intruded upon American civil liberties.65 Should the program be continued?

To Consider:

Congress is discussing whether to continue a secret surveillance program that gathers data from Internet companies as part of the federal government’s counter-terrorism strategy.

Arguments for:

1. Broad data collection is necessary to fight terrorists, who rely almost exclusively on electronic communications.

2. Although the program was secret, some members of Congress were aware of, and approved, the surveillance for national security.

3. In the interest of national security, some civil liberties must be curtailed to keep the United States safe.

Arguments against:

1. Data collection will not substitute for human intelligence gathering, and this program diverts much-needed resources from the latter.

2. Congress has deferred too much to the executive branch in combating terrorism and needs to scrutinize surveillance programs much more carefully.

3. While civil liberties are not absolute, especially when national security is at stake, this program is unnecessarily broad in scope and allows the federal government to collect data without sufficient justification for intruding upon constitutionally guaranteed protections. 

Additional Research:

The following links present the arguments for and against internet surveillance and data collection. Choose at least one link for each side of the argument and make sure to read through the entire text. Once you have enough information, move onto the next part of the activity.

Pro (broad data collection):

https://www.usnews.com/opinion/blogs/world-report/2013/09/18/internet-surveillance-is-a-necessary-part-of-national-security

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/white-house-allows-nsa-bulk-data-collection-to-continue/

Con (limits on data collection):

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/08/us/nsa-phone-records-collection-ruled-illegal-by-appeals-court.html?mcubz=0

http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2013/06/11/prism_backlash_groups_demand_end_to_surveillance_programs_lawsuit_launched.html

Will you support the data surveillance program? Why?