Mass surveillance, or the large scale monitoring of populations without specific suspicion is an issue on which there appears to be a growing body of concern in this digital age. Proponents say it is crucial for national security and fighting crime, but critics warn that civil liberties will be eroded or claims might get turned against people.
The Rise of Mass Surveillance
Advances in technology have enabled vast amounts of data to be collected and analysed both by governments but over recent years increasingly also commercial organisations. Because of this the use to surveillance techniques is very common such as:
Internet Surveillance: looking at the things people do online including what they search for, their emails and how they post on social media.
Phone Surveillance: Listening into phone calls and reading texts
The Essence of Physical Surveillance — It involves watching public spaces through cameras, etc.
The Advantages of A Mass Spying Program
National Security: One good thing about mass surveillance is that, potential terrorist threats could be detected before it becomes an act.
Prevent Crime: It is useful in the investigation as well as prevent crime.HandlerFunc
Security: It is used to secure public places and respond fast in case of an emergency.
Why Mass Surveillance is a Dangerous Concept
Infringes Privacy: There are concerns that state administered mass surveillance can cause violations of the privacy rights of individuals.
Chilling effect: Surveillance can persuade people not to express their beliefs or voice dissent.
Abuse of Power governments & organisations can abuse their surveillance power for political or financial advantage
Mass surveillance can lead to false accusations and wrongful arrests. — Photo by Tim Evans on Unsplash
Security vs Privacy
Balancing security and privacy is a beast of many faces. To minimize such risks of mass surveillance, you must:
Institute Robust Laws & Regulations: Formalize laws and rules that serve as the backbone governing surveillance efforts.
Accountability & Transparency: Governments and companies will be held accountable for conducting surveillance.
Concentrate Surveillance: Look at surveillance from the perspective of whack-a-mole-targets not simply nukes.
Ensure the Privacy Rights: Put in place robust privacy protections to safeguard people rights.
Advocate for Digital Literacy: Teach the general public about the harms of surveillance and what they can do to guard against it.
Surveillance provides a common and extremely powerful means of social organization that can be used for good or evil. If you know the pros and cons of security systems which can be used by so many persons, then definitely we are one step closer to an era where Security lives in a harmony with Privacy. f
