Lets be honest here. Western governments and even in American history, have ALWAYS spied on their citizens. Lets stop pretending this is a new thing.
What is different is technology making it easier. Outside that an assault on the ability to have recourse when those tactics are used against you in a court of law.
For example, it is NOT illegal for cops to sit outside a business or even in a business and observe what you do. Just like it is not illegal for them to hang out on the internet on the same websites as you and observe what you do. If you are in a public place, you are fair game. Arguments have been made about the internet as being both public and private.
What we should be concerned with is when they spy, then make an excuse to avoid probable cause or courts. In that context warrants have been increasingly easy to create loopholes. FISA courts are supposed to be part of both protecting due process and national security, at the same time the "freedom of information act" is supposed to be a way of scrutinizing law enforcement and courts.
I am not saying invasion of privacy is good, it is not. But lets not pretend spying on citizens is new.
What is different is technology making it easier. Outside that an assault on the ability to have recourse when those tactics are used against you in a court of law.
For example, it is NOT illegal for cops to sit outside a business or even in a business and observe what you do. Just like it is not illegal for them to hang out on the internet on the same websites as you and observe what you do. If you are in a public place, you are fair game. Arguments have been made about the internet as being both public and private.
What we should be concerned with is when they spy, then make an excuse to avoid probable cause or courts. In that context warrants have been increasingly easy to create loopholes. FISA courts are supposed to be part of both protecting due process and national security, at the same time the "freedom of information act" is supposed to be a way of scrutinizing law enforcement and courts.
I am not saying invasion of privacy is good, it is not. But lets not pretend spying on citizens is new.
