This week we were presented with the story of this guy:
Edward Snowden is one of the biggest leak stories of my time. I never really took the time to learn the story, but after watching the movie and learning more about him, I see his name come up EVERYWHERE. Right after I watched the movie, I began working on my Coursera class titled “Forensic Accounting and Fraud Examination”. One of our discussions asked a question that fits well with the discussions we’ve been having in class:
Does how you get information matter? Is Snowden an accidental fraudster, predator, traitor or good citizen (whistle-blower)?
This is the issue with leaking information. I believe that what Snowden is is all dependent on who you are. Let’s look at him from a few different points of view…
The Predator/Traitor
On one end you can use the way that Snowden got his information against him. If this was any other information that was unnecessarily leaked, there would be an obvious outrage by the public and the government and a call for immediate punishment. Anyone can take this information and validly state that Snowden was a predator or a traitor to his country. He used his government position to give information to the general public that was technically classified. When only looking at that fact, hatred towards Snowden is understandable.
The Good Citizen/Whistle-Blower
When it comes to the information that Snowden leaked, you can see a different side to the argument. Snowden leaked information that showed the American people that the government had the capability to spy on them through their technology. Not only did they just have the ability, they were actually doing it. Because of the invasion of privacy and a look into our rights as American citizens, many people believe that this information had the right to be leaked. Some see Snowden as a hero and I think that this side is also justified; leaks are an invasion of privacy or confidential information. But if the leak is outing an entity for basically invading our privacy, then what are we to do about it?
I think that this is the problem that we have when it comes to leaking information. In the book that I’m reading for this class, Sexting Panic, we see the same type of issue at hand here. Teens are shamed and can get themselves in legal trouble for sending a consensual nude photograph. However, if someone leaks the picture and invades their privacy, the leaker has a slim chance of getting into any trouble. We apply his thinking to someone’s potential rights, so why don’t we use this same judgement on someone like Snowden. If the the person with the information being leaked was doing something that was illegal or against the rights of someone else, why should the leaker get into trouble? I think we have a lot of work to do when it comes to laying some ground rules for the leaking society that we live in today. Who should bear the legal trouble when something gets leaked? Is it our right to leak depending on the information? Who decides which instances are illegal? These are all questions that I don’t even think can be answered right now, however, I would like to see what you guys have to say anyway. Also, what do you think about Snowden? Accidental fraudster, traitor, or good citizen?
Weekly News
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-54365718
This week we definitely have to look at the presidential debate. This article is subtitled “The Night American Democracy Hit Rock Bottom”. Many people are saying the same.
SOCIAL MEDIA & SOCIETY 
I love the fact that you provided us with both sides of the argument that he could be considered a traitor or a hero in the eyes of Americans. I see Snowden as a person that wanted to sever his country the best he could but finds out that the government is doing things behind our back that the citizens should know about and it pertains to our privacy of all things. We buy devices that are sold to us to give us a better living but hidden inside the government can track us, see us and hear us. That is wrong and scary and he felt the need to let everyone know. I feel like he did the right thing but he broke his contract by doing so which is where people might see him as a traitor. This is a well-written blog.
LikeLike
In most instances I feel the leaker should be punished for leaking information, but in this instance I see both sides at fault they both undermined someones trust and their authority of power. This blog was good to read and I like how you were able to see both sides defense before you came to an overall decision.
LikeLike
Hey, you have made a valid point here that if any other person has done the same thing as Edward in a way that he not only took the sensitive information of his country and be leaked it and used it against his country. But again that was just a movie if anyone has done it in real life people would not leave him alive. The use of technology does not persuade you to become a traitor but to lead your country towards success.
LikeLike
Hello, you have made valid points here regarding the film and on leaking the data. People while taking the sensitive steps do not think about the consequences and they end up in having the big problems. Same is the case with the technology, we use the technology for almost every purpose and we depend upon it so much that while sharing our very sensitive data through the mobile and social media we do not think for a moment that this data is going to be saved somewhere in the air. Or the person to whom we are sending the data is trust worthy enough to have our secrets. That’s the major problem the generation of this era is facing now a days.
LikeLike