1. Read the article. Consider the author's tone, structure of the article, validity of evidence, persuasive techniques, and your personal reaction.
2. Please add an intelligent comment (minimum 3 sentences) in response to the linked article from The New York Times. Be sure to reference specifics from the article.
3. Optional: Comment on a classmates post in a second post (minimum 3 sentences)
*Use only your first name, last initial and class period.
3. Optional: Comment on a classmates post in a second post (minimum 3 sentences)
*Use only your first name, last initial and class period.
George Hartlin P.7
ReplyDeleteIts no surprise that the NSA is using the apps to gather information on people. In this day and age people will put all their information on their celluar device in order to make it run more effectivly. I knew very long ago before Edward Snowden that the NSA was spying on the people of the world through cell phones and computers. Now the NSA uses apps which to the user seem completely normal asking for a location of the user for updates. Everyday the United States and other foreign nations spy on people daily in order to gather information for marketing and illegal activities. It really doesn't effect me personally although I really do not agree with the introusiveness of this practice.
Caroline M. 2
ReplyDeleteThe National Security Agency isn't the only government entity secretly collecting data from people's cellphones. Local police are increasingly scooping it up, too. Armed with new technologies, including mobile devices that tap into cellphone data in real time, dozens of local and state police agencies are capturing information about thousands of cellphone users at a time, whether they are targets of an investigation or not. This shows that the US is turning against it's own citizens. How is this freedom? Where is our freedom?
It is scary to think how public our private information is to the entire world. Our need to progress with technology, is hurting us more than helping us. The article states that by going on our smartphones and playing around with an app such as Angry Birds, "spies could be lurking in the background to snatch data revealing the player’s location, age, sex and other personal information". I found this to be overwhelmingly disturbing. Why don't we hear and discuss this topic more? The internet is allowing people easy access to information that could potentially lead to severe damage. I think this generation should focus more on protecting ourselves from the internet. I think the internet is where our biggest problems will arise from in the future.
ReplyDeleteClaire Paterson
Period 3
While I'm generally a person who really appreciates privacy and being able to live life out of the watch of higher powers, I'm not too concerned about the surveillance of the U.S. government. As a few people have already posted, this news doesn't really come as a shock to anybody anymore, and - even if the thought of the surveillance bothers you - it generally won't have any direct immediate impact on any of our lives. I wouldn't consider the eyes that the NSA has over us intentionally malevolent. The data collection is really mostly for crime fighting, which is a good thing 99% of the time. The United States government is too large and divided for everybody in higher power to suddenly find a way to use our information against us. This would be much more of a problem in smaller nations, or countries where the government isn't designed to protect the people from itself. You also can't forget that what we consider "surveillance" is mostly just artificial intelligence scanning our photos and words to lead us to things we want to see on the internet (such as advertisements for something you are actually likely to buy to begin with.) So, in the end, I have to say that the surveillance doesn't really bother me, but, who knows, maybe I'll get arrested for something I did in secrecy and regret everything I've said one day.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, we have absolutely no privacy anymore. The government is constantly monitoring everything that we do at all points of the day.We could log onto google and search a food recipe for the night and then the government knows what we are having for dinner. You could be talking on the phone with your friend about who your bring crush is, and now the government knows who you like. Nothing we do is ever going to be secret anymore, yet their is still tons of criminal activity all throughout the US. Some would say this should make us feel secure, I say it just be makes me feel awkward knowing the government probably knows where I keep my "secret" teddy bear collection. (just an example)
ReplyDeleteSonny G. Pr. 6
Obviously an invasion of our privacy is a serious issue. However, I think it is blown a little bit out of proportion. The article says that spies may be lurking in your angry birds game, but they honestly aren't. The data is processed by computers, and only a large amount of suspicious activity would prompt a person working for the NSA to actually open your file. Out of all of the activities of all of the people in America, why would an NSA employee look at that? And they can't even listen to the actual conversation on a phone call, only see that one was made. And although many people rightully fear for their own privacy, the process has helped us. Your file is not looked at unless there is highly suspicious activity, like Googling how to make bombs and making calls to terrorists regions. This practice helps us much more than it hurts us, so I think it should be continued, with the restrictions as to what information is accessible continuing. Jessica L. Period 6
ReplyDeleteWhile it may be frightening to think that the government has access to your personal information this method of security research has been effective in preventing acts of terrorism from effecting our everyday lives. Generally this type of security research only filters through information gathered through programs and flags any suspicious or possibly dangerous info., such as searches for how to build a bomb or multiple phone calls to an active terrorist area. While this may be considered a violation of privacy and that is a major issue the NSA is more focused on eliminating threats than gathering information on your angry bird score.
ReplyDeleteHannah Beatty pd. 6
Mike Caminear Period 6
ReplyDeleteI think that privacy is easily one of the most significant privileges that a person can have and protect. I want to emphasize the fact that privacy is a privilege, and not a right. People can control their own privacy in most of the belongings that they own and they also give up their privacy when they agree to certain terms. In addition, I know for a fact that these privacy measures have kept terror attacks at bay for over a decade and they will undoubtedly continue to do so if such measures stay in tact.
However, I also think that too much government intervention with everybody's individual lives is a bad thing. Everyone wants to know that they have privacy because it gives them peace of mind to do what they want with leisure. The over-monitoring of society could be correlate to societies in the book 1984 or in the Soviet Union with the KGB.
So, as a whole, I would say that the monitoring of people is a good thing, but if it is taken too far, then it can definitely have some negative counterparts.
Its quite scary how fast we are willing to give up information. These days you can find a person's identity through a quick search on Facebook. Then from Facebook photos, you can search Google Images to find the same photos. Not only various sorts of social media is our personal information exposed, but our many ways of communication. It is said that if a person is able to hack your bluetooth mic, they can hear any conversation you have. Terrifying right? Honestly, the NSA is the least of my worries, I mean sure thanks to them we have no privacy in this country. Can we control the NSA? Not if the NSA is watched over by the Obama administration. This country has no privacy, people know what we do constantly, in an instant, they could trace us. The more to the internet we expose, the more we put ourselves in danger. These days kidnapping someone is easy. There is no way you can grab the wrong person thanks to your face being plastered all over social media. Take safe measures not only because the NSA is constantly peeping into you life, but also because people are disgusting enough to create apps for information. This is scary. Apps like Angry Birds seem harmless, yet its managing to grasp every drop of information you leak out. It isn't these leaky apps or social media getting your information without your consent. You are the root cause of them being able to grasp your information by providing it willingly. How can you blame the NSA for being in our privacy when half the time our privacy is all over the web?Stop blaming others and start accepting our mistakes in this situation as well. What privacy do we really have these days? Will we continue to blame our lack of privacy on the government or will the future bring uprise against technology and the government? All I'm saying is Snowden did us a favor. Thank god we have someone watching over us. The NSA has our private information and they're job is to make our nation look good, so why would they want to see our country shrivel? Honestly I think the NSA is looking out for our country in some way? Sure it knows what I'm writing right now, but at the same time, our lack of technology in the 911 attacks led us a bitter 12 year war in Afghanistan against Al Quieda. NSA is looking out for the general good. Also another thing: how much is too much information? Read your instagram, your twitter, your facebook, your tumblr and your social media websites, how many websites know your age, your birthday, your sex, etc? ALOT. so be careful about how much you expose, remember you may not be the only set of eyes out there and make sure you know who is to blame. Is it really the NSA or is it simply yourself?
ReplyDeleteMiranda S
Period 6
A topic such a as personal privacy is one that draws a lot of debate and is controversial in the United States. Will you give up your right to privacy for your own safety? The author did a good job of proving that it is absurd for people such as the NSA to access personal information through apps. The NSA does look at this personal information, but was it your fault for putting it out there? According to the article the NSA claims that they don't search through the common persons phone, but that their information appears in their files at times. This is a fishy statement because can you really trust the people who secure our country, or do they access to much of our private lives? Safety or Privacy pick one because their is no way to have both.
ReplyDeleteRyan C.
Period 2
This article brings up a very scary topic with the advancement in technology and the boom in a culture filled with smartphones. As much as I resisted giving into the trend, an iphone is wonderful. However, I still realize how terrifying it can be. Smartphones really do have so much control over our daily lives- no longer just in the form of addiction. As the article says, our own privacy and personal information is being tracked and recorded. It's scary that others are now able to gain access to our location, age, sex, and other information. But the question becomes how do we stop it? I appreciate the effort made by President Obama to activate restrictions from government surveillance. However, this doesn't seem like enough. There needs to be a way ordinary people can protect their information without worrying about British spies gaining access to it.
ReplyDeleteEleanor Hall
Period 3
When i first heard of the government being able to spy on us and access personal information through our phones, i was startled. The NSA can listen in on our phone calls and read our text messages or emails. It wasn't really a huge concern to me because it's the government getting the information (not a random stranger). However, with all of this technology, our lives are becoming less and less private. For example, Xbox is also retrieving information through the lens of their technology. They are able to see us. Most people aren't okay with this but we agree to it because companies do state this in the "terms and conditions" of their software. There isn't much we can do about it. As long as we don't do anything illegal, we shouldn't have a reason to be worried.
ReplyDeleteAmy B. period 8
The only thing that concerns me about this is that people are able to find out our age, sex, location, etc, because that could be potentially dangerous. Especially for young cellphone users that don't always know the trouble they could be getting into. The only comforting thing about it, is that its not just random strangers gaining access to this information, it's government officials. However, who's to say that random strangers aren't able to gain access to this information? We only know that the government can because thats public knowledge. A stranger isn't going to come forward and say "hey, i've been gaining access to hundreds of peoples personal information". So i definitely think that tighter restrictions should be out in place. As for the government being able to listen in on our phone calls, read our emails, or read our texts, who cares? I know I don't. And I really don't think the government cares a whole lot about whos dating who or who hates who, or any of our high school drama. If people aren't doing things that need to be hidden then why would they care if government strangers scan through their information?
ReplyDeleteIt can definitely be considered nerve racking that the government has the ability to easily assess private information about nearly any individual, but its not a true threat unless you have something to hide. The NSA who are hacking into the data base to retrieve information aren't doing so to harm people, but use the findings for safety purposes, and track and monitor those who seem suspicious. It would be a lot more unsettling if just any person who acsess the information because then it could be used against us, or to find out about our personal lives. Although I think this article was a informing piece of writting that many young and old people need to read. Everyone should be tentative about what they put on the internet on a daily basis, and most are completely aware that their postings will forever exist streaming somewhere online. Its necessary that there is more awareness regarding how available our online lives are because anything that's put out there can haunt you for the rest of your life. I think the existing technology which can trace and extract information about internet users can be very useful when it comes to tracking criminals or investigating cases, but the fact everyone has the possibility of being a target could possibly limit the excess information people put online.
ReplyDeleteAlyssa Case
period 3
It does not concern me that the NSA has access to my information, because if they don't have access to my information, then they don't have access to information that could help them identify potential threats. Also, the way they look at our information is more of a scan than a "look". It isn't like people are reading into my information in depth and laughing at things I do or say. It just isn't like that, it's more of a keyword scan and I think that it's really not getting in the way of my privacy in the slightest. The article states that when we are on our phones, "...spies could be lurking in the background to snatch data revealing the player’s location, age, sex
ReplyDeleteand other personal information, according to secret British intelligence documents." This isn't bothersome to me because I know that the NSA doesn't care who I have a crush on or how bad my hair looks in that selfie I just took. There's no judgement, it's just a scan for information essential to our security.
Jennifer G.
Period 3
This particular issue does not necessarily bother me, but I see why others may be concerned. The NSA has the ability to look into almost everyone's personal information that can be found in technology. Just because they have the ability to, it doesn't mean that there is a man on a computer looking directly at your personal information. Technically we still have our basic rights as American's so they can't use any of that information to accuse us of anything and for the most part, they are monitoring keywords that might signal a potential terrorist. I believe that this is actually beneficial for us because it will help crack down on terrorism and prevent any future attacks.
ReplyDeleteKevin C.
Period 3
Jackson M
ReplyDeletePeriod 6
Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA has been spying on American citizens in multiple ways, especially using data collected from our mobile devices. In America, we have a right to privacy. It should not be ignored. It is one of the most important rights a person could have, and we must not let it be taken away. New protections should be made, because current legislation does not restrict the NSA and other organizations enough. People claim that it is for security reasons, but they can have other ways of security without intruding into everyone's lives. This also could lead to worse situations if this continues to go unchecked. We must not trade our freedoms for simple extra security.
Jake S
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
The news of the NSA collecting personal information of Americans through the use of telephone calls is not very concerning considering that the government is using such information to thwart terrorist plots. I feel as though the NSA is justified in "spying" on the American people because they are collecting this information for good reason. When it comes down to it, I would much rather have tighter security and have the government collect information on the American people than have less government intervention on the matter.
Like some before me have said, this is a non issue. The NSA collecting personal information of American citizens sounds strange in a society that prides itself on freedom, but if the facts are looked at rationally, there is no trouble at all. The NSA is simply screening calls for things that pose a threat to the well being of our great nation, and because of this the agency cares very little for other information. As long as the U.S. government doesn't share or sell the information, then it is a non issue. After all, if you have nothing to hide, why would you care?
ReplyDeleteWith any new technology, it gives us access to a new world in a sense. And it would make sense for that "new world" to have access to us. These new devices give people a lot more opportunities, but without knowing, we also give the devices more opportunities. We provide the device with More information to be shared.. but don't even realize it. When downloading applications onto your phone or tablet or what have you, some of them have a "Terms of Service" that you're recommended to read and click "Accept" to. If you don't read it and click "Accept" and still get angry because of the App going into the information you have on your phone, then that's your own fault. Once the applications stop notifying you on what they're allowed to access then the public has the right to be upset. Most of the applications I have ask if they can access my photos, location, etc. If I click accept, I understand that I'm allowing EVERYONE who is in charge of this app or has access to it to see those things, to use those things. It is a complete invasion of my privacy BUT I did click accept to those terms. That's the problem with this new generation, so many things are exposed. But most of the time, we expose them ourselves without even realizing it. If you post a status on some social media apps, it posts the location of where you are unless you turn that feature. So everyone who sees that status, sees where you are then. I think we, as a nation, have a right to be angry ONLY if the application takes information from our devices that it did not warn us pervious to it's download. This is a new world we live in. And it will continue to advance and change.. And a tip to stay ahead, know that nothing is private ESPECIALLY on the internet or phones.
ReplyDelete-MaryColleen Whitney
Period 2
This debate is similar to that of full body scanners at airport security. These two issues really boil now the question which do you value more: personal privacy or public safety. I definitely think that public safety triumphs individual privacy, especially on the scale this article is talking about. The NSA's searches are meant to red flag unusual internet searches, phone call patterns, etc. Unless you are doing one of the above, the NSA is really not interested in your internets searches or text messages. Even if the NSA was able to read about your personal life, I doubt they would waste the time to do so because they are not looking for information about you. They are looking for information for potentially dangerous people that put the public at risk. While I can see the patriotic argument that this infringes on our personal liberties, the benefits of this tremendously out weigh the negatives. The NSA is working to protect you, so everyone can just calm down about how much "freedom" this is supposedly taking away from you. This is protection your freedoms as an American from potential terrorist attacks that seek to take them away.
ReplyDeleteSkylar S.
Period 2
Jared C.
ReplyDeletePeriod: 2
The NSA is abusing its power to spy on the country's own citizens. It is exploiting ways to attain information that it has no right having. With the unrestricted power the NSA currently and previously had, it should have been able to stop the Boston bombings. It's failure at this proves how it's guise of "security" is not truthful. Members of the unrestricted NSA can use this personal information for personal means and political ones. The power of the NSA needs to be reformed else it should be destroyed altogether.
This is an unimportant issue, as our government is just looking out for us. Having our calls screened by the NSA is a very simple way to catch people plotting against America, and at the same time, doesn't affect innocent Americans because they have nothing to hide. I agree with doing this if it means catching terrorists.
ReplyDeleteEvan P2
My opinion on this subject is that if you're not doing anything wrong, why should it matter? But I do believe that things like age, sex, and sexually orientation are not only irrelevant, but should not be disclosed especially for minors. People are giving away their information all over the internet, whether it is in Facebook of their current location in google maps. You cannot be angered that people are using this information that you gave out! It could also be for your own good. If this technology is being used properly and to keep the rest of us safe, I see no problem with it.
ReplyDeleteJordyn Per 2
While I had ideas that certain agencies were using multimedia and other online services to obtain information, I had no idea that it was used to this extent. While some governments and intelligence agencies gave the right to know some information about the people, they have no right to deliberately interpret private information about people and other things through a game such as Angry Birds. They are abusing their rights of information and they should be restricted to certain things. While I understand the importance of the NSA and what they do, but I also understand that they have a bigger role in our national security then using childs games to obtain information when they could be doing recon to locate possible future national emergencies and help to protect the nation. While I believe that the information they obtain could be beneficial, I believe that they should use other ways to get that info other than the way they are using. People have rights and have the right to protect there information without fear of it being breached especially from an agency such as the NSA that doesn't use that info for a real purpose other than collecting date. Either the objectives of the NSA need to change or the NSA needs to be reformed completely. They have no right to obtain that information and if they do, the public should be notified and not find out through a news article where they see that the data collected is issued through secret reports. The US was built on the idea of freedom and by the NSA obtaining private information without consent, they go against the building blocks of the US and ignore everything that they need to abide by.
ReplyDeleteDalton E Period 3
In todays society almost everyone we know has a smartphone in their pocket and we all are constantly checking, downloading,signing in, and more on these devices. This article brought up the fact that some "leaky apps" may be giving away our personal information to intelligence agencies. I always hear of things like this happening and that the government may be taking our information but i didnt know it could be happening from a game like angry birds. I have known that social media apps could easily give away information and that already made me wary of using them but now having this kind of information make me question how much I would like to use my mobile device if my information will be taken without my consent. Philippe Langlois says, "“By having these devices in our pockets and using them more and more, you’re somehow becoming a sensor for the world intelligence community.” this reiterates the fact that we are putting out our information for them just to take more and more.
ReplyDeleteElena Muniz Period 3
I am always wondering what information the government and even other people can find through my social media, computers, and smartphone. It's scary to think about people getting your information and how easy it can be. I don't think it's fair information can be given out so easily just from a smartphone app. I feel like our privacy needs to protected and though about more. But, there is always the thought about public safety. But really, how is the government keeping us safe by taking information in that manner? Does it really help?
ReplyDeleteEmma Salvatore period 3
Frankly, I find those who appose the NSA to be ridiculous. These people often claim that the government is abusing their power by infringing on our privacy. They make it out as if the NSA officials are spending their leisure time scrolling through our e-mail, texts, and phone calls. Let's be real, here. The only purpose of the NSA is to protect our country. Our information is processed by a computer system not a person. The only files that are checked are those that appear suspicious ie. potentially dangerous to our security. To inhibit this potentially life-saving program because of our so call need to "protect our right to privacy" would be a true show of folly. As a country, our first concern should be to protect our nation.
ReplyDeleteIana West
Period 2
Personally, i feel the information we put on the internet is very dangerous considering how easy it is to access. Whether it be the government or just some creep trying to stalk you, you are very vulnerable. Social networking needs to be more secure and not so open to the public in order for our people to have some privacy. Even when downloading apps and playing games you are often giving personal information that you probably did not plan on letting everyone know.
ReplyDeleteJack Murray Period 8
While it is true that many of us dont have anything to hide on our cellular devices, it still seems like a breach in privacy just to know that people have access to our information. Why should technology be treated as a privilege. It seems silly to insinuate that the government deserves access to such data, however I for one know i would give them permission if it was a matter of national security, or public safety. My biggest gripe with the topic of the article is i dont really like spies "sneaking around." Be straightforward. People might surprise them.
ReplyDeleteBen G
Pr. 6
It is weird to think that the nsa can access my personal information just by me playing angry birds. However, this does not surprise me. The nsa scans information to try and prevent terrorism. If you don't send up any red flags, then your information isn't even looked at, it is just sent to a data base. I think that information troubles people because they think of America as a free nation and it seems as if the nsa is infringing upon that freedom.
ReplyDeleteJulia kendzierski period 8
With terrorist becoming more and more creative in ways to create destruction, I believe that the breach of security is need. There have been instances such a the Boston Bombing that show that there is not enough being done. The terrorists were over looked. This shows that its easy to breach America's system. If you are really concerned about what you have on your phones and what you're saying to people you are most likely hiding some and are sketchy so thats yo problem... You shouldn't be concerned with you phone or internet unless you really are up to some fishy activities.
ReplyDeleteAlec Janis
I think that the information that you can find on the internet, all depends on where you find it. You have to look in the right place on the internet to get the correct information; a good example would be '.gov or .edu' Because it is more likely that the information that they have is correct and you can trust it just a little bit more. but if you were to find a quote on the internet and it's a fairly famous quote, but it is said by the wrong person, (or cited by the wrong person) then it is more likely that the rest of that information on that page would be a load of junk.
ReplyDelete^Lauren A.
ReplyDeletePeriod 8
The NSA and government communication headquarters has been working on how to track information through apps that are run on smartphones. This information really doesnt surprise me at all. the government is always trying to find information out about people and use it against them. they are making the one of the most important things to people now a days and turning it into another thing that we have to worry about. i personally feel that any little thing you put on the internet is being watched. even something as simple as a tweet, everybody knows about it. now a days you cant even play a game on you iphone without giving all of your personal information.
ReplyDeleteQuinn Per.8
I don't believe that the NSA should be spying on smart phone users, especially through apps such as the popular game Angry Birds. Even though people are putting their personal information online i don't think that the the NSA should be spying on iPhone users. I don't think that the NSA should even have the power to do that unless they were hunting someone down for a crime. Obama should crack down on privacy laws for the civilians. He should make it so the people of america feel comfortable using their smart phones.
ReplyDeleteNick T per 8
This article can be very controversial because I feel that there is two sides to it. The government having access to information through smartphones can be dangerous or it could be helpful. Dangerous because with all the information that people let out through their smartphones, conflicts could happen such as identity theft. But it can also be helpful because since majority of the world has smartphones, the government can use this technique to gather information to solve issues such as issues with criminals.
ReplyDeleteTatiana H period 8
I believe the NSA does have a right to be "spying" on our smart phones. In my opinion, the NSA isn't really there to "spy" on us and judge what we do with our phones, they are mainly there to in the long run protect us and keep us safe from any danger we could be faced with. The NSA scans through information to find things such as any forms of terrorism and I believe they aren't doing anything to make fun or judge us for, it is all just to keep us safe.
ReplyDeleteMarissa G.
per: 8
I do think that NSA has the right to watch and spy on some of our personal information. They are doing it to protect us and they are not doing it to use the information they find against us in any way unless it is for terrorism. They are only doing it to protect us, not to harm us.
ReplyDeleteAlla Miller
Period 2
I was really surprised at the extent to which the government could use our phones to spy on us. I think that because we use technology so much we tend to not even think about any of the security precautious we should take anymore because our phones no longer seem like some sort of technology, they're just a part of our everyday lives. The fact that we could be spied on through an app such as Angry Birds is frightening. I think its hard to even understand how people could be spying on us through our phones because phones are personal items, like laptops, which are also at risk of being used for spying, and people shouldn't have the capability to hack into things like that.
ReplyDeleteCara Broughal
Period 3
I don't see it as an issue that the NSA is able to view some of the things on our phones. As long as there is nothing to hide on our phones it does not seem to be a big issue. People probably overreact at their conversations being read, but in my opinion, the people reading them probably couldn't care less about someone's pointless conversations with friends over iMessage. I feel like if anything, the NSA's ability to see into people's phones is a good tool to use in order to stop terrorist attacks, etc., before they happen.
ReplyDeletePeriod 8
I think that the NSA has the right to gather information, and to store it in some form of database. People do not realize that this information isn't some entertainment source for a bunch of guys sitting around laughing at who we call and what we look up. It could be vital in many situations to keeping this country safe, and to helping provide us with the ability to stop many major plots before they happen. Are you more afraid of your government knowing who you are calling, or a potential murderer/terrorist making calls around the country, being able to talk to other murderers/terrorists. That is the choice we have and in my opinion it is a small sacrifice of privacy to help promote the protection of this country's well-being.
ReplyDeleteMike B Period 3
Its scary to think that the NSA is able to see private information on our phones. It's an invasion of privacy and most people don't even know about it. If you have nothing to hide and follow the law most likely the NSA wouldn't even bother to look at your phone. This system is more for spying on people who put other people and America in danger. The NSA main purpose it to protect us, but the question is how far can they go?
ReplyDeleteRachel period 6
The NSA's data collection is an invasion of privacy for all the Americans and a violation of the First Amendment. We are not sure of how far the government is investigating us because our knowledge is what they tell us, which is not always the truth. If collecting data can prevent terrorist attacks without violating personal rights, than there is a legitimate reason to do so but when they are collecting specific data that pertains to nothing but ADS than there must be a stop. The NSA are not the sole blame in the conundrum, google, the backbone of the internet, utilizes searches and presents ADS that will grip the attention of the users.
ReplyDeleteI dislike computers analyzing my searches, but if it can save lives and not bother me in the process, I say what the hell, let them search through my internet history.
Alec Carlson per 8
This whole data collection thing has some bright sides and some bad sides if you ask me. The first question I have to ask is why does the NSA need all of this data that they are getting? Why do they care where you're going or where you've been on a daily basis, and why should they need to know what photos you have on your Facebook? And if there is a pressing matter in which they need to know something about you like your address, name, sex, or some more personal information, they can legally go through the government to get it if they have a good enough reason. But on the better side of things one way this could be helpful could be if a phone was stolen and they were able to collect some data and ultimately track down the phone and who stole it. But even in this case all they would really need access to would be your location.
ReplyDeleteLeah Braley Period 6
While I agree with those who believe that some things are public and some things are private, I think you need to pick your battles. The only people who would be substantially affected by the government trolling their personal information would be those who have something to hide. Otherwise, I could care less if the NSA is searching my cell phone and internet activity for keywords. I think a common misconception is that there is some sketchy guy in a basement looking through all your facebook pictures and text messages, but that just isn't true. A government worker does not care where you were on Tuesday or how your relationship with Phil is going. I think that this generation of youths are less shocked by this data collection because we have grown up with the constant reminder from our parents and school administrators that everything we put online is public. Posting something on twitter and sending a text message are not so different that I cannot fathom someone reading that too, even friends of mine screenshot stupid things I text them. If seeing my messages is the means by which even one criminal is caught, it will have been worth the extra second I think before posting social media or sending a text.
ReplyDeleteEmma Pottenger per.6
In my opinion I believe the way that the NSA is gathering intel is a very unethical method. I believe this because it is a big invasion of privacy. Their method of looking through your phone withought your premission just to see if their are any acts of terrorism going on is wrong. The majority of people in the United States are not terrorist and or will never even dream of being terrorists so in my opinion it is wrong to go through innocent peoples phones. In the article it states, "...Among the most valuable unintended intelligence tools are so-called leaky apps." These leaky apps leak personal information regarding information you have on your phone to where you have been traveling that day. In my opinion it is wrong to be watching innocent people, and this spy method should be tweaked so innocent people aren't being watched.
ReplyDeleteOwen K per 8
While I do believe it is scary that there are people out there who potentially know all these small details of your life like age, gender, etc I think our safety as a country is more important. However, I think that this is only ethical for our government to use it. Our government is supposed to protect us and our freedoms as Americans so I think to take some precaution they should be allowed to access this kind of information, it could lead them to find something very useful. And plus if you are an innocent person what do you have to hide? Most likely if you are innocent the government won't show much interest toward your information. I believe there is nothing wrong or unethical about our government knowing our personal information, but I strongly agree that other companies should not be allowed access to our information.
ReplyDeleteJessica M. Period 6
The issue of NASA having the ability to get access to almost everyone's personal information that can be found in the technology does not necessarily bother me. This is because I personally don't think an man working for NASA will randomly go through my personal information, but I see why others may be concerned. For people who are not okay with the government getting a hold on everyone's "online personal information", I believe it is their own fault. Everyone has been taught that information that has been released in the web will forever be there. Also information on one's computer can get spread through downloading things. When downloading, there is always a pop-out on saying if you agree to anything, and obviously mostly everybody don't read it and click agree. If you don't want the government to see your personal information, why put it online in the first place?
ReplyDeleteVicky Seok per.6
I believe that it is the violation to the citizens of the Unites States because in the 4th amendment of the Constitution, it states that privacy of the person and possessions as against unreasonable searches. With the advancement of technology today, there are many advantages as well as many disadvantages. Privacy of our conversations with family members, and friends should be kept private. I believe that it is unconstitutional for the government to be spying on every action, web search, texts messages, and game applications. There are millions of applications, and text messages being used everyday, how is it possible to administer every individual and identity terrorists or spies. If terrorists have been identified in the USA due to the National Security Agency's spying on people's phones, perhaps I would feel differently about this topic. However, the NY times article, "Spy Agencies Tap Data Streaming From Phone Apps" did not detail any information about locating terrorists. I would also like to know what is the main purpose of spying on innocent citizens. Would you be okay with a stalker spying your every move, location, and personal information? This is what the government is implementing by promoting invasion of privacy except it is all done in the digital world. This relates to the book, 1984, by George Orwell. I believe that Orwell's vision of the technologically advancement Utopian society is the one we are currently living in. In Orwell's novel, the citizens were oppressed by the government and had absolutely no privacy. Every move was censored, and the people couldn't even think about the notion of overthrowing the government. Although, Orwell's envisions were extreme, it is apparent in many cases that we living under this same oppression.
ReplyDeleteReitsuma Panta
Period 3
Stephanie Durso Period:7
ReplyDeleteLike others previously stated it doesn't surprise me that our devices are tapped. With the technology we have it is very easy for anyone to get personal information. If you weren't careful about your personal info now you should. This article shows what many don't want to think about. Every since technology has advanced people knew that personal info would be sacrificed. I don't think it is right to surveillance peoples personal info when they are not aware or haven't done anything to lead to a search. Though in the world of social media do we really have personal privacy when every second of our life is put on line for others to see?
Although I may not particularly want my information disposed to the world (or at least to a select group of individuals), contrary to many beliefs written on here, I don’t think it is an absolutely awful thing. I really don’t see the harm in having some of our data collected, and maybe some of our keywords traced; I have nothing to hide, so I’m not concerned. Granted, if I was smuggling some drugs or looking up ways to perform illegal acts, then I might have an entirely different perspective. But I think - generally speaking - for our generation it isn’t as big of a deal as it might have been a decade or two prior, simply because we are used to certain luxuries and don’t think (or care) about the other things that go along with it. Of course to some this is considered a violation to the citizens of the United States of America’s rights (and I’ll buy that to an extent), but to me, it really isn’t that big of a deal. There are many positives to this, a main one being that it could help to prevent certain acts of terrorism. If the collection of the American people’s data saves even one life, isn’t that worth it? All in all, I just take this as a message to be careful of what you post online, what you send in text messages, and other things like this, because things can be interpreted differently than you may intend.
ReplyDeletePeriod 3
To be honest, I am divided on this topic. While I don't see that much harm in the NSA snooping around and collecting information about american citizens in an effort to keep this country safe, I also obviously see it as an intrusion on our freedoms. While most of us don't have anything to hide from the NSA, I still don't like the idea of "Big Brother" watching us. I know a lot of the information the NSA collects from these smartphone apps is probably useless and meaningless to them, and is just a precautionary method, it's the principle of the thing. I believe that as Americans we have the god given right to our privacy and should not be subjected to searches such as the ones that the NSA are conducting.
ReplyDeleteJustin Campos
Period 3
In my opinion the government should be able to spy its own citizens in order to keep the country safe and protect its own interests. But it should be made sure to the public that the information is just being used for public interest not to increase the government,s power. And the government keeping track of its people can be really effective in preventing terrorists and criminal organization from hurting general public. And lastly if the government does not divulge the information it takes then there should be no problem in government spying.
ReplyDeleteAhmad Zaidi
Period 6
I understand that there are a lot “invasion of privacy” concepts conducted by these apps that leads to invasion of privacy. But a lot of government services use these same apps and tap phones to get hold of dangerous criminals. I mean I don’t want my personal information floating around in the cyberspace for people to see but I think we all need to take that risk to protect ourselves - in a way. After all everything comes with pros and cons, and with intensely growing technologies both pros and cons grow with it. We enjoy the simple facilities within our fingertip, so we have to deal with the cons as well. I can also see how some other organization else than the government can misuse the personal information - data of my phone, but these people will always find a way to hack phones or computers to obtain their needed information. I don’t think we should be concerned about these issues yet.
ReplyDelete~Shilpa R Period 3
Conor Duffy_Period:7
ReplyDelete“The agencies have long been intercepting earlier generations of cellphone traffic like text messages and metadata from nearly every segment of the mobile network — and, more recently, computer traffic running on Internet pipelines.” In our modern day society, so much tragedy occurs daily in people’s lives. The way people normally communicate with each other in our modern day society in through cell phone or email. So there is a lack of trust or curiosity in what people are doing. So the NSA is looking deeper into people’s privacy to seek any suspicion. If you look at the bigger picture, the one standing reason that the NSA is tracking people’s cellphones is because of the lack of trust. I know there are many different opinions about the tracking of cell phones. But if you’re not hiding anything you shouldn’t be worried.
Personally, I have no problem with the NSA "snooping around". Some people feel that their privacy is being invaded. I must say that this is most likely not true. The NSA is not looking into every teenagers text conversations. They have a system using keywords to detect possible threats. The NSA is acting in the best interest of the country and the safety of its citizens.
ReplyDeleteJared P Period 3
When we buy technology, we don't really think about our privacy. Although in some cases it can be dangerous when personal information is being released, I don't think it's all that bad. There isn't much harm in them collecting some of our data if it is strictly only for drastic measures. I am not very surprised that they do snoop in some of our information. It really isn't that hard to get one little piece of information that can lead to other things. I do not think they look in everyones text messages and read them, only if under suspicion but they don't do it for fun. The NSA does it for a reason. If its keeping us safe I don't really mind.
ReplyDeleteAlthough some may find the fact that the NSA has accesss to private information concerning or an invasion of privacy, many fail to realize the actual purpose for them doing this. The reasoning behind the NSA having the ability to spy on its citizens is simply to keep them safe. Therefore, they are only acting in the best interest of the country and should be able to continue to do so.
ReplyDeleteHarjot B
Period 8
Jonathan B
ReplyDeleteP7
The only reason the NSA is going through people's private information is that they want to keep people safe. They don't monitor all conversations, they pick out key words that could be a threat to every citizen. People shouldn't worry about the NSA looking at personal information, if you have nothing to hide then you shouldn't care. It's a small price to pay for safety.
Pat C.
ReplyDeleteP7
The NSA is only going through you private phone calls because they are trying to protect all of the citizens of the United States. Like many people said before you either have to choose privacy or you have to choose safety. I personally choose safety, I really do not care if they listen to my conversation because i have nothing to hide from them and its not like they are going to go out and sell all of your information to someone. Your conversation is kept private from everyone.
Jonathan Williams
ReplyDeleteP6
I don't believe the NSA should have the power to access user's information unless it's absolutely necessary, like they're searching for a dangerous criminal. That would be justified because the end would justify the means, but in general, the NSA should really be limited in how much information they can access from people. There's always going to be the question of privacy verses safety, like with airports, and I think a balance needs to be established.
I dont believe the NSA should be able to access information. It seems as if the privacy of Americans is increasingly shrinking with the introduction to new technology. Along with the NSA obtaining users information there are other rumors and methods of people being able to obtain personal information. There are people that the Xbox Kinect, the motion sensing accessory for the xbox, recors the user 24/7 and it sees whatever you do if you're in the Kinects range. This along with the plenty of other methods to hack peoples privacy just show that technology isn't always the amazing and useful product that people believe it to be.
ReplyDeleteJoe R
Period 2
It's really no surprise to me that the NSA is using apps to gather information about people's location and information. I learned a little about this last year in my English class and they are very sneaky. I know that the only reason the NSA does all of this is because they want to keep everyone safe and I agree with that, but I never really knew they can gather information about you when you download an app which is why I think they're sneaky. I'd rather be safe than sorry.
ReplyDeleteTaylor Miller
The fact that in today's society you can't download an app without getting spied on is kind of bad. When I went to the app store and bought Angry Birds, I had no idea that I was at that moment intrigued by the NSA. I get why they are doing it because they want to protect our society against bad things, but especially after Snowden made it common for everyone that they did it as much as they did, people have been taken more precautions than before. And I think a lot of people have. I dont feel safe in a society where I get spied on every second I am doing something on my phone or computer. We can never really know when they are spying on us, but every person needs some private life.
ReplyDeleteperiod 6
Christian F
With todays society is very awful that you get spied on when you download an app on your pearsonal device. For example, i just recently downloaded Flappy Bird before it got cancelled on the app store, and at that time i had no clue that i was getting spied on by the NSA, which freaked me, and probably many other people out. I understand that our government wants to protect us, and the society against bad things that people may be doing by buying a game/ downloading a game on the app store. In my opinion, i don't really quite feel safe in this society after the fact that i realized that we are going to get spied on just for downloading an app from the apple app store. I do understand why they do it some cases, and i believe its because they want to protect us against the bad things that can happen in todays world, such as, illegal downloading of music, or other bad apps that people can download, and that means that nothing we do is seriously, how you say, "personal" anymore. In my final opinion, i don't think that the NSA should be able to be allowed to spy on us customers in this society, its bad enough we can get watched outside of our houses, but on our mobile devices, we should be able to have some sense of privacy, don't you think so?
ReplyDeleteCassie Vaccaro
Period; 7
Dan Lalor
ReplyDeletePeriod 2
I do believe the NSA should be able to access the private information of an individual who has evidence against him or her to suggest that he or she pose as a potential threat to the nation's security. With that said, I do not believe it is constitutional for any government institution to be obtaining information from the mobile device or computer of any law abiding citizen without a fair motive driven by facts.
When it comes to private companies like Rovio, which exchange the personal information of their users with ad companies for profit, I believe there needs to be reprimand for such shady practice. Perhaps the NSA could spent less resources and tax payer dollars spying on innocent citizens and instead put more into spying on such manipulative corporations.
Now I do acknowledge that there are many sides to the NSA's practice as it does set out to protect the people, however I do believe the NSA can accomplish this with greater integrity and with more respect for the privacy of the people.
I don't mind it. As far as I'm aware, the information is being collected and stored in bulk, making it rare that an everyday citizen's information is thoroughly combed through by any "spies". I'm also not particularly worried about whether or not an intelligence agency might know my “political alignment and sexual orientation." Even most of our addresses and telephone numbers are already available not only for the government to see, but also anyone who ever picks up a Connecticut phone book. And, of course, the state and federal governments hold the records of our social security and license plate numbers. The thing that does bother me is that the locations of people on their phones are being recorded. It's simply a blatant invasion of privacy that can't quite be deemed anything else. Reading the article provoked thoughts of the parallels between cell phones and 1984's Telescreens. Cell phones provide scattered bits of information to the government that can be used to profile a person and somewhat monitor them. Obviously, however, cell phones do not stream video of their users or provide the means to completely monitor a person.
ReplyDeleteAaron R
PEriod 6
Although at first the fact that government has access to information on our phones is frightening I think that It could be beneficial. It might make people more aware of the activity on their phones and what they are sharing. However, I don't think it's acceptable for the government to be able to track our whereabouts for no good reason. There are circumstances where it would be acceptable but an average person who is committing no crimes should not be subject to this invasion of privacy.
ReplyDeleteCassidy M
Period 6
I think that the government being able to access our information on our phones is perfectly fine. If we have nothing to hide then what is the big issue? On the other hand, I think it's a little strange for the government to track where we are/where we have been. There are limits to what the government should be allowed to access and not access. i'm okay with them being able to access information from my phone, I have nothing to hide. However, it freaks me out knowing they'll trace my whereabouts for no apparent reason.
ReplyDeleteI think it's creepy if the government will be able to access information from phones. I don't have anything to hide on my phone but just the fact that they will be able to know where I am whenever they want would bother me and probably many other people. Government accessing information on cell phones could also be a good thing because some people who do have things to hide will be more careful about what they put on it, it could also be good because it could protect people in certain circumstances.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the NSA watching over us and having access to the information from my cellular device is alright because it is in their best interest of protecting the citizens of the United States. What I say on my phone whether I think it is private to other people or not can be used by the NSA because they do not take what is on my phone and use it as entertainment. They look for key words to see if a person should be watched closer if need be. While yes I wouldn't appreciate a teacher looking through my business but the government is fine as they are only looking for key words to thwart terrorist plots
ReplyDeleteTyler M.
Period 7
I think it is beneficial for the NSA to have the ability to look through our phones for a sense of protection, but at the same time it is an invasion of privacy. It is uncomfortable to know that practically everything we do or write on our phones is being watched, but it is being done for the safety of our country. And a simple solution to the issue of being uncomfortable is simply to not write/send personal things, therefore there isn't anything to be uncomfortable about. Overall the NSA accessing our information through apps and what not is for safety for the country, and I am not objecting to it.
ReplyDeleteGabby White
Period 3
It's really no surprise to me that the NSA is using apps to gather information about people's location and information. I learned a little about this in my English class last year. I learned that they are very sneaky. I know that the only reason the NSA does all of this is because they want to keep everyone safe and I agree with that, but I never really knew they can gather information about you when you download an app which is why I think they're sneaky. I'd rather be safe than sorry. In the text it says, "President Obama announced new restrictions this month to better protect the privacy of ordinary Americans
ReplyDeleteand foreigners from government surveillance, including limits on how the N.S.A. can view the metadata of
Americans’ phone calls — the routing information, time stamps and other data associated with calls." I personally think this is a good idea. We need our own privacy, yet we still need to be protected. It's a scary thing to know everything we do on our phones is being watched by the government, but it's for our own safety.
Taylor Miller
Period 7
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI know it shouldn't come as a surprise that the NSA is using there technology access to spy on the people of the US but it still is a bit baffling that something that is put there to protect us and our rights is violating them so blatantly. It also scares me because it follows all the steps of previous told science fiction stories. 1984 and Fahrenheit 451 both told of to much technology used for the wrong things. 451 told of it used to keep the humans stupid and 1984 it was used to control and spy on the people. So to hear that the NSA is using the technology at there disposal to spy on us really scares me for how much it follows 1984. There is countless stories about how having technology is bad maybe we should dial it back. Read a book listen to some music and not really do anything else see how long we can go without our ipods and phones right in our faces.
ReplyDeletesam period 6
This article tells us about how the NSA is using technology as in smart phone apps and phone calls to spy on each other. I do not actually think they are using these things. They are just letting everyone know that they can use them and that if they have to that they will. I think that w you are pretty safe because i don't think that the NSA will randomly decide to start spying on people unless they know that those people did something wrong. This would be much more of a problem in smaller nations, or countries where the government isn't designed to protect the people from itself.
ReplyDeleteChaylea Finn
period 2
Personally, I don't really care if the government looks through what I'm doing or not, I feel like the only reason that you would have to care would be if you were trying to hide something, like a terrorist or a drug dealer. Since I'm not a terrorist or a drug dealer, I don't really care if the government sees that I called my friend for a minute, it's not like it's some creepy guy stalking you. This is the government and all they are trying to do is keep us safe, especially with terrorists attacking the US (like the Boston Bombings) you can never be too safe.
ReplyDeleteAodhan
period 6
I am absolutely find with how the NSA is running things. What they do allows for people to live much safer then how they would without them. Many try to bring up Snowden in this case and how he revealed them for storing information on citizens but 60 Minutes conducted an interview with some people in the NSA regarding Snowden and everything that people say about the NSA is most often overblown. The information that they collect has no names to go with it, merely numbers until they find a legitimate threat to our well being. Snowden, on the other hand, did not need to release all of the information that he did especially because not all of it even pertained to his cause. Some of the information that he had endangered the lives of civilians and members of our military.
ReplyDeleteThe NSA is completely within their rights.
Shoshanna Longo
Period 6