Privacy vs National Security

Abstract

There are growing concerns and anxiety about privacy among the general public especially after the revelations of former NSA contractor and whistleblowers like Edward Snowden and others. While privacy is the fundamental concept of being human, the growing tug-of-war between an individuals privacy and freedom vs national security has renewed the concerns about where the fine balance should lie between the two. For the first time in history the technological advancement has made the mass data gathering, analysis, and storage a financially and technologically feasible option for the governments and private businesses. This has led to the growing interest of governments and security agencies around the globe to develop sophisticated algorithms using the power of Big-Data, Machine-Learning and Artificial Intelligence. The technology has enabled governments and private businesses to collect and store thousands of data points on every individual, which has put an individuals privacy under constant threat. This article analyses the individual's privacy concepts and its perceived link with national security. The article will also discuss the various aspects of privacy and national-security, arguments of both sides and where a boundary should be drawn between privacy and national security.