Implementation Of Surveillance Technologies example essay topic

As a direct result of the September 11 terrorist attacks, both government and law enforcement officials have implemented surveillance technologies designed to deter future terrorist attacks. Officials continue to scrutinize whether the implementation of these technologies will in fact prevent another national tragedy. As a nation, we are now faced with the reality of having to sacrifice individual rights and liberties to facilitate the Government's use of surveillance technologies. Proponents of these technologies argue that foregoing rights and privileges is a necessary consequence to combat the threat of terrorism and ensure our continued freedom.

It is my contention that surveillance technologies will hinder the very freedoms of contemporary society that they are intended to protect. The propensity for abuse of these technologies will directly compromise our stakes on freedom and due process, and in turn adversely affect the stability of our democratic society. Prior to September 11, attacks against domestic interests of The United States were limited to Oklahoma City and Pearl Harbor. A sense of national pride and identity was harbored by our ability to exist in relative safety. Tragically, the terrorist attacks were able to compromise our safety and instill fear within society. A common misconception is that the implementation of surveillance technologies will provide us with a safer living environment.

It is because of our desire to guarantee safety that we are willing to endure restrictions on our freedom. Unfortunately, a guarantee of safety is nearly impossible with or without foregoing our individual freedoms. As we have learned in class, more information does not directly correlate with better understanding. The movie The Conversation starring Gene Hackman is an excellent example of this premise. Hackman's character is exposed to a great deal of relevant information. However, he is not always exposed to the context of the information and therefore he is not able to accurately predict the end result.

Surveillance technologies will not ensure that tragedy does not strike our nation again. Even with increased data, analysts will still need relevant context to prevent impeding terrorist activity. At best our protection is only marginally enhanced and our rights are drastically reduced. In George Orwell's classic novel 1984, modern society is portrayed in an environment in which a totalitarian state enforces absolute power over society. The entrapped constituents are subject to continual surveillance in an effort to promote absolute compliance with the established doctrine of Big Brother. The current state of our Government's surveillance has not yet reached the levels feared by Orwell in his depiction of 1984.

Modern surveillance technologies are promoted as a safety precaution that will ensure protection against terrorism. Advocates for increased surveillance argue that public safety can be enhanced while ensuring that Constitutional rights are preserved... Unfortunately, laws that were written to protect the individual are being amended with little regard for their inherent rights. The direct consequence of these acts is a society in which the existence of previous checks and balances has been diluted. Individuals are now subject to surveillance and other infringements on rights without written warrant or established justification. Perhaps the most surprising component in the implementation of surveillance technologies is the technology itself.

In the Golem at Large, Henry Collins and Trevor Pinch portray science as an integral component of contemporary society. Science is so essential in their opinion that it has evolved to literally encompass social existence. Collins and Pinch go on to further state in the Introduction of The Golem at Large, 'that science and technology are created by man and for man' and therefore are a direct consequence of man. (Collins and Pinch) This statement is paramount in understanding how surveillance technologies became socially accepted. These technologies were developed and enhanced without regard for the ramifications of practical implementation. Societies desire to enhance surveillance technologies have created the very predicament we currently exist within.

The technology is so formidable that proponents portray the notion of not fully utilizing it as a travesty. Unfortunately, when the engineers were perfecting surveillance technology, they believed that it was to be utilized to combat threats against United States interests, not against United States citizens. It is unclear whether the social constraints enforced upon science and technology would have prevented the technical advancement had the initial designers foreseen the eventual application of this technology. While the aforementioned is not inherently clear, it is clear that the support of a majority of society would not have been extended had the current intent been foreseen.

This past month at the Choices and Challenges Forum, the main discussion session was centered around the right to privacy and how new legislation infringes on this right. It was apparent that the panel, mostly distinguished scholars, were fundamentally opposed to the government's intrusion into personal liberties. In fact, the only panel member to side with the government was a governmental consultant who believed that sacrificing personal liberties could help solve crimes. It was quite interesting that the issue of surveillance was prevalently discussed as a social dilemma. The views of these distinguished scholars seem to align with the common interest of most of society. What makes this country great is the notion that all men are created equal and afforded certain fundamental liberties under the constitution.

Technology is meant to enhance these liberties, it is by no means meant to constrain them... Presently, we are forced to sacrifice individual rights and liberties as a consequence of surveillance technologies. It is apparent that the implementation of these technologies is meant to dissuade future terrorist acts and encourage the continuation of democratic liberties. Unfortunately, the consequence of promoting surveillance technologies will hinder the very freedoms that make our country great.

Surveillance technologies provide an inherent risk of subjecting innocent citizens to unwarranted scrutiny and abuse. In implementing surveillance technology, society is no longer in in control of this technology; rather we are now subject to the standards imposed by an elitist minority. Science and Technology once societies greatest asset, has proven in this case to be perhaps her greatest adversary..