PRIVACY MATTERS: AN EXAMINATION OF PRIVACY AND SECURITY IN A POST SNOWDEN ERA

Abstract

In this paper I examine the debate between personal privacy and national security in the post Snowden digital era. First, I layout the background of the 2013 NSA leaks in order achieve a complete understanding of the types of data that are being collected and how they are being used to protect national security. Then I look at this debate in the context of two classic political theorists, Thomas Hobbes and John Locke. After this, I reconcile the work of several different authors to create a framework for understanding privacy. Then I characterize the contemporary debate between privacy and security. In my last chapter I discuss technical methods of better privacy protection, as well as the non-technical steps we can take to achieve long lasting protections on privacy. This work should motivate an honest, open, and informed discussion of personal privacy and national security in the post Snowden digital era.