Reconciling the Needs for National Security and Citizen Privacy in an Age of Surveillance

Abstract

This chapter explores important ethics issues regarding government surveillance on citizens. Two views are discussed regarding debates about ethics and possible model development for reconciling tensions between freedom and security. Key issues for debate are presented and these include the need to define and deliberate the meanings of privacy, abuse, proportionality, secrecy, etc. Certain propositions for debate are also offered. These are: a. It is unethical to monitor citizens who are not under any demonstrable reason of suspicion without their knowledge or permission; b. It is unethical for citizens to block necessary national security surveillance when such surveillance is proven to be needed to stop acts of crime or terrorism; c. Governments should not conceal the facts about how much they monitor citizens for national security and in what typical conditions they do so; and d. Citizens should not accuse governments who use surveillance to track criminals and terrorists as being fascists or trying to establish dictatorships.