Should The Government Monitoring The Internet?

"The founding fathers never planned for the internet. They didn_Ñét plan for a lot of things, in fact, including issues due to technology, social justice, or economic trouble that weren_Ñét even in existence during their time. Because of this, they created the Constitution and Bill of Rights to be relatively broad, intending that it would encompass the framework for the future. Little did they know how the scope of this broadness would shape America_Ñés future. The extent to which the government should interact in the lives of the American people is one of the most highly debated topics of both past and present politics. And, as the role of technology in the 21st century becomes more and more prevalent, this specific idea becomes increasingly …show more content…
It is reasonable for the federal government to have flags for certain keywords that people might look up. Searches such as _ÑÉhow to build a homemade bomb_Ñé or _ÑÉeasiest ways to kidnap somebody_Ñé could justifiably act as triggers for the safety of communities. However, a person cannot be incriminated or jailed solely on the basis of their searches, for due to the first amendment we have the right as Americans to say and type whatever we desire. The duty of the government therefore is to monitor the web before and after a crime takes place. For example, if a person has multiple searches all relating to terrorism, and these searches contain triggering words, it is prudent to have the county police investigate the suspicious activity a little more or to have an officer show up at the house; these actions are justified in the fourth amendment due to the right _ÑÒagainst unreasonable searches and seizures_Ñ_ but upon probable cause_Ñù. When it pertains to monitoring internet content, the probable cause leading to further investigation or searches would be a series of flagged internet search …show more content…
While in a way the freedom of searching whatever is desired is being given up, this is no different than other small freedoms that Americans trade in everyday without thinking about. When boarding an airplane, people walk through metal detectors without question because it gives them the security of knowing the flight will be safe, and that safety is worth giving up the freedom of being able to bring whatever you desire on an airplane. When in a public space, security cameras are accepted, even encouraged, by most people because it provides a safety factor even though this too involves giving up a small freedom. In this way, having the federal government monitor red-flags of internet searches for the good of public safety, and then having authorities follow through on suspicious activity, is