“The secrecy surrounding the government’s extraordinary surveillance powers has stymied our system of checks and balances,” said Laura Murphy, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s Washington Legislative Office. “Congress must initiate an investigation to fully uncover the scope of these powers and their constraints, and it must enact reforms that protect Americans’ right to privacy and that enableeffective public oversight of our government. There is a time and a place for government secrecy, but true democracy demands that the governed be informed of the rules of play so as to hold elected officials to account.” 

Questions for Consideration

How worried are you about your privacy rights and how worried are you about national security? How important is it for the government to be transparent about their security initiatives?  What steps do you take (if any) to protect your online information? Are the whistleblowers who bring this to our attention portrayed as heroes or traitors in the media?

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