Personal Privacy Vs. National Security Research Paper

Personal Privacy Vs. National Security - Research Paper Example Because of this very reason different opinions have been formed regarding the methods which should be adopted to avert terrorism. Moreover it is seen that the roots of terrorism extend up to the general population and hence important measures are needed to root it out. Policies of counter terrorism are formed all over the world through which the governmental agencies aim to obtain information about individuals who are believed to be linked with the acts of terrorism. As the world has advanced it is seen that technology has had a great influence on these counter terrorism policies. The situation however gets complex when the question of intruding in the lives of people arises. The governmental bodies have been entitled by many governments to intrude the privacy of all the individuals who are considered to be linked with a certain act of terrorism. Privacy is one of the most fundamental rights laid down in almost every constitution formed by the countries. It is the duty of the governm ents to ensure that the citizens are getting this right regardless of the ethnicity, race, sex or religion of the concerned individual. It is this topic that has given rise to a debate between the government officials and the people who are concerned with privacy. While the government may be able to stop national threats, it’s not worth our personal privacy being violated and invaded like airport security groping young children, our personal information no longer being private and unnecessary video monitoring and surveillance. In 1787 Alexander Hamilton wrote that ‘to be safer, nations at length will become willing to run the risk of being less free’. This statement clearly means that national security threats at one time will be averted at any cost even if it harms the basic democratic rights of the citizens. With time it has been noticed that the statement was quite right as privacy has been denied to many individuals regardless of their association with any te rrorist group. Previously privacy was considered as a privilege by the citizens which they could enjoy at any given cost however things have changed in the days today as the government is the sole authority which decides about the rights of individuals. In order to analyze a person the governmental bodies are using different methods through which their private data is being maintained. This data is then being used to identify the patterns or acts of the individuals and this whole process is known as data mining. If not legal, it is the moral responsibility of the government to maintain the privacy of all of its citizens, this being one of their basic rights. In some instances it is seen that the government does not apply limitations when they have to reach out to certain people. These acts include the new airport checking system which is harming the privacy of the individuals entering in different countries (U.S & Minow 2004). The rights of individuals to privacy has many benefits i n itself. It protects the individuals from discrimination which may be done on the basis of the information that the authorities receive from them. And hence it can be said that the right to privacy can eliminate the social divide which may be created otherwise. Privacy of individuals