In response to the whole hullaballoo about the NSA data
mining operation, I wanted to throw my 2-cents in the debate. I know that some of my more liberal minded
friends might disagree, but I believe that Edward Snowden should be arrested
and prosecuted for divulging classified information. It’s very simple really, he leaked
information that was classified and that is punishable under our existing laws.
Now, let’s delve into what was leaked. The government is using ‘big data’ obtained
from internet providers and phone companies (the line is very blurry there) to
conduct meta-analysis and look for trends and indicators. Think an attempt at Psychohistory from the
Foundation novels of Asimov, or the big computer in the TV show Person of
Interest. Is mining of that type of data
wrong for a government to do?
My answer may surprise some.
I would say no. First of all, the
data in question is data that has been released to the ‘verse from the individual. In other words: “From here to the eyes and the ears of the
'Verse, that's my motto, or it might be if I start having a motto.”
In other other words.. should we have any expectation of
privacy once we release something to the internet? I would say no. Once we post on a message board, send an
eMail, or update our Facebook status, we should have no expectation that
information isn’t available to the ‘verse as a whole.
“There is no news. There is only the truth of the signal.
What I see. And, there's the puppet theater the Parliament jesters foist on the
somnambulant public.”
We have a flawed system of government, but one that is based
on some checks and balances. We need to
abide by the laws around secrecy and confidentiality and then work on our
leaders to enact better means for us to protect and restrict access to the data
that they have access to. However, don’t
ever think that you have privacy in this world when you access the internet and
place a camera on your life with Facebook and other social media. Don’t canonize a traitor for breaking the law
and exposing something that’s been evident since well before 2001.
