DHS and its Component Agencies on Privacy, Surveillance, and Treatment of Citizens
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other security agencies like NSA and FBI are responsible for safeguarding the United States against terrorism attacks, majorly domestic terrorism and other local crimes. Although, the DHS and these security agencies are established and empowered by legal frameworks to carry out their activities, in the process of achieving their goal of protecting American citizens, their properties and resources, they face challenges. These challenges include; the far these security bodies should limit their encroachment of the privacy laws, the ethical legitimacy of their surveillance mechanisms and how they treat and handle the citizens. In this paper, I will look on the mentioned challenges in a wider perspective.
The DHS violates the fourth amendment of the American constitution. The searches done by the DHS through the Transport Security Administration (TSA) compromises the liberties of the American citizens. The constitution does not allow the citizens to be searched excessively, but, DHS violates this rule. The full scan carried out to all individuals especially at airports is not health and ethical. How can an innocent citizen be made to expose all his or her body? The scanners used displays even genital organs on the screen, this is subjecting citizens to shame and without any concrete reason (Bautista C, 2014). The DHS officers while conducting pat down they go ahead to grope women, which is equal to sexual molestation. If the officers using the scanner are not keen they may expose a citizen to scanner rays for a long time and this can result to cancer.
The DHS discriminates citizens based on color, religion, economic ability and other discriminative factors. For example, at airports check points people of color especially of Black origin are made to go through “hair pat downs.” This is racial discrimination (Vox, 2019). The check points also discriminate Muslims by making them undergo a complex search than other travelers. Also the check points are categorized based on class of the ticket and this is another way of discrimination and violation of individual liberties. The procedure should be uniform to all people.
Although, the USA Patriotic Act is meant to protect life and liberty of the Americans, the NSA and the FBI conducts warrantless surveillance of the Americans emails, text messages and phone communications. This violates the privacy rights of citizens. But, these agencies argue that if a surveillance or search warrant is sought or issued the concerned person may cut communication and destroy evidence and hence hinder investigations. The major issue of contention is how the mass of information of the citizens is used. The rogue officers in these agencies can sell the citizen’s information to business entities and individuals who may use that information to the disadvantage of the citizens. Despite the citizen’s outcry of their privacy being endangered the Federal court has gone ahead to approve the FBI warrantless surveillance (The Washington Post, 2021).
Another area of concern is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, though, they help in areas where there is the shortage of police officers and in areas that are risky, their use can intrude the citizen’s privacy. Although, police officers claim that citizens if doing the right thing they should not be worried of its presence, if such UAV passes in areas where they can monitor what is going on in the house through the windows they can infringe privacy liberty (The International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2021). UAV passing through one area is not a big issue but if their movement is repeated along a given area then it means privacy of the citizens along that route is at risk.
In conclusion, the USA Patriotic Act though meant to help in protecting the citizens, has more privacy and ethical concerns that are not addressed. The violation of laws in order to meet other laws should be looked on well. The Federal government should revisit the USA Patriotic Act.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and other security agencies like NSA and FBI are responsible for safeguarding the United States against terrorism attacks, majorly domestic terrorism and other local crimes. Although, the DHS and these security agencies are established and empowered by legal frameworks to carry out their activities, in the process of achieving their goal of protecting American citizens, their properties and resources, they face challenges. These challenges include; the far these security bodies should limit their encroachment of the privacy laws, the ethical legitimacy of their surveillance mechanisms and how they treat and handle the citizens. In this paper, I will look on the mentioned challenges in a wider perspective.
The DHS violates the fourth amendment of the American constitution. The searches done by the DHS through the Transport Security Administration (TSA) compromises the liberties of the American citizens. The constitution does not allow the citizens to be searched excessively, but, DHS violates this rule. The full scan carried out to all individuals especially at airports is not health and ethical. How can an innocent citizen be made to expose all his or her body? The scanners used displays even genital organs on the screen, this is subjecting citizens to shame and without any concrete reason (Bautista C, 2014). The DHS officers while conducting pat down they go ahead to grope women, which is equal to sexual molestation. If the officers using the scanner are not keen they may expose a citizen to scanner rays for a long time and this can result to cancer.
The DHS discriminates citizens based on color, religion, economic ability and other discriminative factors. For example, at airports check points people of color especially of Black origin are made to go through “hair pat downs.” This is racial discrimination (Vox, 2019). The check points also discriminate Muslims by making them undergo a complex search than other travelers. Also the check points are categorized based on class of the ticket and this is another way of discrimination and violation of individual liberties. The procedure should be uniform to all people.
Although, the USA Patriotic Act is meant to protect life and liberty of the Americans, the NSA and the FBI conducts warrantless surveillance of the Americans emails, text messages and phone communications. This violates the privacy rights of citizens. But, these agencies argue that if a surveillance or search warrant is sought or issued the concerned person may cut communication and destroy evidence and hence hinder investigations. The major issue of contention is how the mass of information of the citizens is used. The rogue officers in these agencies can sell the citizen’s information to business entities and individuals who may use that information to the disadvantage of the citizens. Despite the citizen’s outcry of their privacy being endangered the Federal court has gone ahead to approve the FBI warrantless surveillance (The Washington Post, 2021).
Another area of concern is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles, though, they help in areas where there is the shortage of police officers and in areas that are risky, their use can intrude the citizen’s privacy. Although, police officers claim that citizens if doing the right thing they should not be worried of its presence, if such UAV passes in areas where they can monitor what is going on in the house through the windows they can infringe privacy liberty (The International Association of Chiefs of Police, 2021). UAV passing through one area is not a big issue but if their movement is repeated along a given area then it means privacy of the citizens along that route is at risk.
In conclusion, the USA Patriotic Act though meant to help in protecting the citizens, has more privacy and ethical concerns that are not addressed. The violation of laws in order to meet other laws should be looked on well. The Federal government should revisit the USA Patriotic Act.
