Week 4 EOC: Snowden

Edward Snowden was a high school drop out who became a defense contractor working with secretive U.S. computers. Whoever made the decision to hire Snowden made a huge mistake, and surly realized it the day Snowden revealed top secret government information.

"Snowden's disclosures have triggered a much-needed public debate about mass surveillance online everywhere. Thanks to him, we have learned the extent to which our online lives are systematically monitored by governments, without transparency, accountability or safeguards from abuse."

Quite honestly, I’m not sure what to think. Part of me feels that our constitutional rights as Americans are being extremely violated. People who are in power, shouldn't abuse that power. The government taping into our personal information could easily turn into a slippery slope. First they’re invading our privacy and personal information, but then what? The government may be more corrupt than many want to believe. "I don't want to live in a society that does these sort of things," Snowden said. "I do not want to live in a world where everything I do and say is recorded. That is not something I am willing to support or live under. ... I can't in good conscience allow the U.S. government to destroy privacy, Internet freedom and basic liberties for people around the world with this massive surveillance machine they're secretly building."


However, from a completely opposite side of my first opinion, I don’t mind that the government can tap into people’s information. I know that I am personally not doing anything that the government shouldn’t see, and if I was, I probably shouldn’t be doing it. I feel a sense of safety knowing the government can keep a close watch on people who are out to cause harm to others. I feel that if someone is doing things online or having conversations that they wouldn’t want an authority figure to know about, they are more than likely up to no good.

No one likes to be accused of wrongdoing even if (or, perhaps, especially if) the accusations are true. This is exactly what whistleblowers do: they are employees who disclose illegal behavior on the part of their employer. Not surprisingly, many companies, when faced with such an accusation by an employee, prefer to shoot the messenger. (Introduction to Business Law - Jeffrey F. Beatty, Susan S. Samuelson, and Dean A. Bredeson: pg 326)
 Snowden believed he was doing the right thing by being a whistleblower. I do think in some ways it was right of him to share information about that he felt wasn’t ethical. However, the people who hired him to do his job, had a sense of trust in him. As an employee what he did was shameful, but as an american citizen... was it really so wrong?