The NSA and why you should care

If you’re like me, you didn’t think much of the National Security Agency scandal at first glance.

Even as the story relentlessly progressed, from the PRISM program to the recent confirmation that the UK’s Government Communications Headquarters has been randomly storing screenshots of video chats, the story seems distant, unrelatable.

After all, we’re not criminals. We shouldn’t care if the government has access to our digital lives.

Like many of you, my opinion soon changed. Even if we’re not involved with illegal activity, mass surveillance can disrupt our lives. Take for example the case of Brandon Mayfield.

Mayfield was an upstanding citizen just like you. His only fault was resembling the characteristics  of a terrorist. When a terrorist attack occurred in 2004, Mayfield was quickly designated by the FBI as a lead suspect in the case. Ignoring warnings from the international intelligence community, the FBI physically surveilled Mayfield and accessed his digital communications all without warrant or just cause.

The issue at hand here is a psychological phenomenon known as confirmation bias. When analyzing an enormous amount of data, like that which the leading intelligence-intensive nations collect, individuals seek patterns that justify their suspicions rather than vice versa.

Here is where we enter the picture.

As students, we possess many characteristics that could erroneously implicate us in a crime. Relative to the general population, we’re more likely to participate in a radical political group or protest. Many of us are at an age that is known to contribute to relatively high crime rates. Many statistics would indicate to an intelligence agency that we could be linked with illicit activity.

Given these characteristics, law enforcement could draw conclusions that may unjustly lead to a student’s surveillance or even arrest.

Obviously, certain demographics other than students’ would be disproportionately affected by confirmation bias. Although collecting mass data may slightly increase national security, it will negatively affect the lives of those who may be statistically more likely to be involved in a crime, like Mayfield.

It is time we took responsibility for the intelligence agencies that operate on our tax dollars. We need to demand that our representatives take a stance on unwarranted surveillance.

The next time you read yet another headline about the NSA ordeal, don’t pass it off because you’re an innocent citizen.

johnfren@indiana.edu