U.S. defends snooping as ‘lawful’ and ‘valid’
- Around June 2013, Edward Snowden former security contractor at U. S government’s National Security Agency, and former employee of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), revealed details of classified U. S government’s mass online and telephone surveillance programs.
- On March 14, 2014, panel of experts from United Nations Human Rights Commission reviewed Washington’s record on civil and political rights, and questioned them on the scale and scope of their spying.
- Deputy assistant attorney general for the criminal division at the U. S. Department of Justice, Bruce Swartz defended their control on mass surveillance saying:
- The collection of information done was for foreign intelligence for counter-intelligence purposes and was not designed to challenge their freedom, or affect people based on their ethnicity, race, gender or sexual orientation
- Many courts and authorities have rigorously overlooked that the operation was for security purposes only.
- Barack Obama has taken steps to protect information of all citizens from around the world regardless of their nationality.
Exams Perspective:
- Snooping
- Civil Rights
- Political Rights
- PRISM
- Boundless Informant