“Spying on the Home Front” documentary is a very enlightening factual program that covers a multiple of delicate and significant matters that pertain to U.S. citizens automacy, democracy, and privacy. Furthermore, an exchange of diverging views have arise on what is ethical and unethical about the way the government, has taken matters into their hands with the country’s security system after the September 2011 incident. However, it is clear that government’s purpose is to keep the country (citizens) safe. But until when and what degree will the U.S. government continue to violate citizens rights. One argument that the documentary does cover not so explicitly is that in order to keep citizens safe, citizens will have to change the way they view or define privacy and start to if not yet think of it as a social good.
Viewing privacy as an individual right rather than a social well not only result in poor policies, but also creates many misfits. In considering individualized privacy, we have to take into consideration each individual’s value and interest; which fails to take into account the public’s interest. In relation to the September 2011 incident, actions had to be taken, regardless of what individuals or society thought because it was about safety. The country’s security system had to be reconditioned in order to prevent another horrible situation from occurring once more. In doing so, I believe the government used the ethical theory utilitarianism which supports the fact that, the new security procedures create the greatest number of happiness for the greatest number of individuals. In other words, the government considers society as a whole where the question is, if the decision is of the best interest for the population or community as one body. In thinking in this perspective citizen’s rights are being viewed as a social good with out permission, and as a result in regards to the documentary it opens the doors to data mining, and wire tapping “in order to connect the dots”(Frontline). Therefore, this theory implies that if one‘s privacy must be violated because it provides the greatest number of happiness, then it must be done. This outlook has caused many issues in regards to the “No fly List” and wrongful accusations that individuals have been charged with because of inaccurate information collected. For instance, I have read articles and viewed videos of individuals not being able to fly because they are on the “No Fly List”, because they are “suspicious”. Moreover, even when the accusation is an error the individual still remains a target. “Is this ethical? Did President Bush have the authority to do what he did? and Why was the NSA spying on American’s for decades?”
The “Big Brother Surveillance” is another issue I am opposed because it has a purpose beyond the fact that it monitors our behavior and action as soon as we step out of our homes. Its purpose is to implement fear in us, in such a way that it prevents us from performing wrongly acts like terrorist attacks, or burglary and more over. Its a way to keep to behave “good” as in the . However, this control on citizen’s invades one of the Constitution instruments freedom. As an citizen who highly values her autonomy, democracy, and privacy, “Big Brother”and security procedures including the TSA violate all three of these instruments. I understand that it is very difficult to detect a terrorist “so everyone’s a suspect and if you look a little stranger you might get on the watch list”. Why does anyone’s appearance or the way they might look make them suspicious. However, I believe that there are other strategies, methods to prevent a further attack from occurring in the future, without violating of citizen’s rights. The IT world is constantly advancing at the speed of the light, policies especially concerning privacy rights are difficult to establish or rectify but I know there is a better, and accepting way to attack this issue than in this style. No one should have to tradeoff their rights for safety. Networking has been a way of targeting such wrongly acts. Facebook has been used to track down criminals who have committed wrongful acts, who are socially posting about the things they do constantly. Other private information collected like the Online tracking are used by companies for internal use. However, we as consumers are not aware of these things that are occurring nor are we asked for permission. I also dislike the slogan “Trust us we are the government”.