Is The Government Spying on You?

Who Cares? Should You?

I know that this has become a concern for many of you, especially with the recent stories in the news about NSA leaks, hacking from foreign governments, and the Patriot Act. The invasion of our privacy in a post 9/11 world is a price that has been determined to be worth paying in order to ensure our safety.  Many Americans have expressed outrage at the government having as much power as they do. And make no mistake, if any government agencies wants to see your email or phone communications, they can do so within seconds. Anyone who tells you differently is a fool. 

However, what we don't often hear about are the success stories that accompany this high level of snooping. Government officials will claim that the Patriot Act has stopped many potential terrorist threats, but for obvious security reasons, the general public can't know the specifics of these. This brings a understandable amount of skepticism to the table. 

But what I really want to ask is why you care so much? If you're a law abiding citizen, you should have nothing to hide. Do you really care if the government sees those old family pictures you posted last week? Isn't even the potential of saving human lives worth the cost of sacrificing some privacy?

The fear of government spying should not prevent you from taking advantage of all the great technology that exists today. If anything, you should worry more about scammers trying to steal your money, but there are some simple tips to avoid having this happen. 

• Use different passwords. A good tip is to vary the uppercase/lowercase structure of a well remembered phrase. (Write them down, though!)
• Only provide credit card details to big, recognizable companies. (Amazon, Ebay, Walmart etc.)
• Never send financial information or things like social security numbers in electronic communication. 

If after reading this you're still scared, admit it. You're just paranoid. Or you have something to hide and should get off this blog before you drag me into it!

Embrace big brother; he watches out for you. 

-The Help Desk