The Government Wants to Legally Monitor People Through Facebook
The Department
of Homeland Security is proposing to expand the type of data they collect on all
immigrants, including green card holders and naturalized Americans. The
expansion includes records pertaining to nationality, country of residence,
USCIS Online Account Number, aliases, associated identifiable information, and
most significantly–search results and social media handles. If the plan is
implemented, the government is able to track Facebook posts, Google results, blogging, online photos, commenting activity, and who you are friending.
Some argue this
is a dangerous development that will negatively impact freedom of speech. Others
worry if it is only a matter of time before American citizens will be targeted next under the guise of keeping the country secure.
The plan adds
to an already extensive list of records the government is legally allowed to
monitor: fingerprints, travel histories, health records and education records.
Do you think these
intelligence-gathering measures against private individuals even work in
securing our nation from terror? Or is the government going too far?
In the ideals of monitoring social media, the word is in the phrase... it is a very social and public thing. Though I might not agree with how pervasive government monitoring can be, it is hard to disagree with our social media being monitored. The point of posting on social media is to capture a particular audience and help the form an opinion about something. While you may not think you are posting for a purpose, I believe there is always an underlying reason. So to answer your question, I think the government has taken it too far in some areas, but in the realm of intelligence-gathering on different social media sites, I believe the circumstances are just.
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