U.S. Surveillance Affecting Civil Liberties

U.S. Surveillance Affecting Civil Liberties

Many Americans are being watched, in great detail, by the government. In its ongoing battle against crime and terrorism, the U.S. has ramped up its surveillance on individuals over the years. As in the book, 1984, by George Orwell, “Big Brother Is Watching You”. Many people feel that this surveillance is a major invasion of privacy and a violation of their rights.

The USA PATRIOT Act was rushed through Congress 45 days after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It stands for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism", and extremely broadens the authority of U.S. law enforcement to conduct investigations. Agencies can conduct a variety of data collections on an individual with almost no warrant. “If the government has any suspicion it can subpoena bank, phone, internet, and even library records with a National Security Letter, which doesn’t need court approval.”(Chu)

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