The Surveillance Society

The issue of how increased security precautions impact on individual privacy is a crucial one for Americans - and many others around the world. Since 9/11 security surveillance and access to personal information by government and their agencies has increased and become, in some people’s eyes, more intrusive and unacceptably controlling and monitoring. To understand the full range and potential impact of these changes it is necessary to look across a very wide spectrum of data and opinion. This is not a subject that simply looking at the media can provide a balanced view of; there are many international agencies and organizations, academic institutions, experts and other knowledgeable individuals with valid and informed views who can contribute to the debate. It is impossible to represent the whole gamut of argument but a selection of articles can help to understand both sides of the issue.