Going Dark: Scratching Surface of Government Surveillance

The Internet is akin to our oceans. While most Internet users are limited to what is on the surface or immediately beneath it, there is a vast wealth of information that can be found if one swims deep enough. Whistleblowers, such as Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, changed the way people view Internet surveillance. U.S. citizens were forced to face the fact that the government has kept a close eye on its citizens through regulations like the USA PATRIOT Act. Most people believe the PATRIOT ACT only targets individuals suspected of terrorist activity, and do not consider that it could apply to them. A poll conducted in 2004 showed that only 29% of Americans believed that the government had overly restricted civil liberties, while 49% believed that the government had not gone far enough to protect the country.

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