Homeland Security: Examining Surveillance and Data Privacy Issues

This assignment analyzes the surveillance practices of Homeland Security, focusing on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) of 1978 and its amendments. The student examines how the act allows the National Security Agency (NSA) to collect data, including American communications, ...Read More

Running head: HOMELAND SECURITY
Homeland Security
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HOMELAND SECURITY
The amendment of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 1978 incorporated section
702 that is intended to spy on the Americans residing outside the United States. This amendment
was made as a cost effective and efficient measure that permitted NSA to tap communications
cables that are located outside the country. However, the problem arose when NSA was
authorized to collect foreign data and communication in a manner that has intentionally removed
the communication of America as well, without providing any warrant (Sloan & Warner, 2016).
The other law enforcement agencies are permitted to ask the NSA for researching such
communications and provide their content to the FBI.
Despite several arguments and court claims, such claim did not stand. In my opinion,
certain recommendations can be suggested with respect to target surveillance generally. Firstly,
the intelligence community requires stronger restrictions regarding the American communication
channels to which it can have access without obtaining any court order and rules to delete data
when collected inadvertently should be restricted (Sloan & Warner, 2016).
Finally, the most important reform that should be made includes preventing law
enforcement agencies to reconstruct evidence that they receive from NSA database to arrest
someone before the court in some other manner. This right to lie before the court and the defense
is detrimental to liberty, which must be prohibited.
Therefore, this privacy and security issue associated with data collection arises due to
ample of data retained and collected by the internet companies. In my opinion, since government
is responsible to ensure privacy and security of the nationals, the companies should also
cooperate with the government in reducing the collection and retention of personal data.

2HOMELAND SECURITY
Reference list
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act 1978
Sloan, R. H., & Warner, R. (2016). The Self, the Stasi, and NSA: Privacy, Knowledge, and
Complicity in the Surveillance State. Minn. JL Sci. & Tech., 17, 347.