The NSA collects “nearly everything” you do on the internet. And your tax dollars are paying for it.
It’s unsettling to say the least to know that the government is collecting all kinds of information about your internet activity and phone calls, and has created an easy-access database to store it all in. The more we learn about the NSA's programs, the more terrifying the picture becomes. The latest exposed NSA’s tool, XKeyscore, allows even low level employees access to your private life.
Let’s break this down. With a click of a button, an NSA employee can single you out and look through an open window to your daily activity, your relationships, your interests, your fears, your secrets. And it’s as easy as using Facebook. All they have to do is:
-Look you up through your email address, IP address, Facebook username, etc.
-Read the contents of your emails and chats, view the sites you visit and bookmark, and pull up your most embarrassing searches.
-All without a needing a warrant. They simply fill out an on-screen form to justify the search, which is never even reviewed by a judge.
Take a moment to think about the implications of this system. Even if you aren’t disturbed that the NSA and its employees have a complete profile of you and everyone you know, anyone with access to this information could easily use the system to blackmail politicians and judges, de-stabilize companies, steal trade secrets, target groups they are biased against, or worse. Knowing now that the NSA paid £100m to fund the UK’s GCHQ, we have to consider what other countries around the world have access to the same technology, and all the ones who will follow in their footsteps. The implications that this surveillance has for global freedom and democracy are staggering.
There were some in Congress who understood this and took a stand to defund this program. But just over half of our representatives stabbed us in the back -- not coincidentally they were the ones who receive the most money from Defense contractors. So did your representative stand for or against YOU? Find out here, and then sign up above to get instructions and printable 4th Amendment flyers to drop off at their office.
