Readings

The readings for this week focus on Edward Snowden and Government Surveillance:

Edward Snowden

These articles explain Edward Snowden's story:

1. Edward Snowden: Leaks that exposed US spy programme

   • Edward Snowden and the NSA files - timeline

   • Edward Snowden: The World Says No to Surveillance

   • Edward Snowden - The Untold Story

   • The Snowden Saga: A Shadowland of Secrets and Light

   • Whistleblowing Is Not Just Leaking - It's an Act of Political Resistance

These article discuss the impact of Edward Snowden's revelations:

1. Edward Snowden's impact

   • Ex-CIA chief: What Edward Snowden did

   • Yes, Edward Snowden Is a Traitor

   • Edward Snowden Is No Hero

   • Two Years On, How much has Edward Snowden Achieved?

   • Eric Holder says Edward Snowden performed a 'public service'

These articles consider where or not Edward Snowden should be pardoned:

1. Edward Snowden makes 'moral' case for presidential pardon

   • House Committee: Edward Snowden's Leaks Did 'Tremendous Damage'

   • Op-ed: Why President Obama won't, and shouldn't, pardon Snowden

   • Op-ed: Why Obama should pardon Edward Snowden

   • Why President Obama Can't Pardon Edward Snowden

   • Trump’s pick for CIA director has called for Snowden’s execution

Government Surveillance

These articles discuss the government's interest in government surveillance:

1. Going Dark: Encryption, Technology, and the Balances Between Public Safety

   • F.B.I. Director Repeats Call That Ability to Read Encrypted Messages Is Crucial

   • Thoughts on Encryption and Going Dark, Part II: The Debate on the Merits

   • Obama weighs in on Apple v. FBI: "You can't take an absolutist view"

   • FBI chief Comey: "We have never had absolute privacy"

   • Trump’s CIA Director Wants to Return to a Pre-Snowden World

These articles discuss the Apple vs FBI case:

1. A Message to Our Customers

   • Apple Fights Order to Unlock San Bernardino Gunman's iPhone

   • Inside the FBI's encryption battle with Apple

   • The Conscription of Apple's Software Engineers

   • FBI has accessed San Bernardino shooter's phone without Apple's help

   • Your iPhone just got less secure. Blame the FBI.

These articles discuss how government surveillance has grown:

1. American Spies: how we got to mass surveillance without even trying

   • FBI to gain expanded hacking powers as Senate effort to block fails

   • The Supreme Court Expands FBI Hacking Powers

   • FBI seeks expanded National Security Letter to include browser history and more

   • New Report: FBI Can Access Hundreds of Millions of Face Recognition Photos

   • Obama intel agency secretly conducted illegal searches on Americans for years

These articles discuss how technology companies are reacting to government surveillance:

1. Tech Companies Fight Back After Years of Being Deluged With Secret FBI Requests

   • Edward Snowden: Privacy can't depend on corporations standing up to the government

   • Exclusive: Yahoo secretly scanned customer emails for U.S. intelligence - sources

   • Freed From Gag Order, Google Reveals It Received Secret FBI Subpoena

   • Government requests for Facebook user data up 27 percent in first half of 2016

   • Microsoft Allowed to Sue U.S. Government Over E-mail Surveillance

Food for Thought

• Power in the Age of the Feudal Internet

• How Much Surveillance Can Democracy Withstand?

Questions

Please write a response to one of the following questions:

1. From the readings and in your opinion, is Edward Snowden a hero or a traitor? Should the US government pardon him for any possible crimes or should they pursue extradition and prosecution for treason?

   • What exactly did he leak and how did he expose that information?

   • Regardless of the legality of his actions, is what he did ethical and moral?

   • Utimately, is what Snowden did beneficial to the public or did he harm the security of the United States and its allies? Personally, how have these revelations impacted you (or not) and your views on government, national security, encryption, and technology in general?

2. From the readings and in your opinion, should technology companies purposely weaken encryption or implement backdoors in their products for the the purposes of government surveillance? Are companies like Apple ethically responsible for protecting the privacy of their users or are they ethically responsible for helping to prevent violent or harmful activities that their platforms may enable? How are these two conflicting goals to be balanced in a world of free-flowing communication and extreme terrorism?

   • If you are supportive of government surveillance, how do you response to concerns of privacy and intrusion? Are worries about Big Brother simply paranoia? When and why does national security trump individual privacy?

   • If you are against government backdoors or surveillance, how do you respond to the concerns regarding national security? Isn't saving lives or protecting our nation worth a little less individual privacy. How do you counter the argument: If you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to fear?

Feedback

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding the course, please provide your feedback at the end of your response.