How NSA surveillance can compromise our financial security
By: Dr. Samori Swygert
I think that the surge in government intrusion into our privacy poses a risk. Eric Snowden revealed the vast collection and archiving of our telephone, email, and internet data. Can unlimited access to our private plans compromise and undermine the American financial system, economic system, and rights to intellectual property (patents, trademarks, and research)?
My hypothesis is, humans are flawed and are easily corruptible when the appropriate stimulus is presented. As humans we are imperfect and live with vices, habits, hang-ups, and react in the most unpredictable manner when we’re desperate.
NSA versus Intellectual Property
The following is a hypothetical scenario to illustrate my point. Let’s say myself and 3 other colleagues have been designing a new invention that we wish to get patented. We may email each other the layout, designs, specifications, mechanisms, equations, measurements, and other details that go into making an invention. Our invention could revolutionize the automobile industry forever.
Let’s say an NSA employee scans our email because one of my colleagues has an Arabic name that flags their system protocol. While reviewing the email, the NSA employee realizes that he/she has stumbled upon a gold mine because he understands the potential of our invention. He/she then takes all of our information and either sells it to bankrolled car industry expert or to a friend that decides to beat us to the patent process.
We can’t say this isn’t possible when Eric Snowden was able to pull hundreds to thousands of highly classified documents for his agenda. I believe this is how mass surveillance can compromise the intellectual property of American citizens.
NSA versus the American Financial System
Allow me to pose another hypothetical scenario. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), regulates the investing system. They protect the financial market from fraudulent activity, insider trading, promote a fair monetary system, and a myriad of other responsibilities. We’ve seen Martha Stewart serve time for insider trading of her shares of ImClone stock. We’ve seen what happened with Bernie Madoff, Enron, WorldCom, and more.
Imagine the amount of powerful information an NSA employee has at their disposal. What kind of financial power could be gained by accessing Warren Buffet’s email, phone calls, and internet activity.
The NSA employee could literally tip the hands of any and every corporation, private equity firm, hedge fund, and mogul. They would have private knowledge on future mergers, acquisitions, sell-offs, splits, and other big Wall Street /private sector deals. This valuable information grants a secret advantage and privilege to an NSA employee. They can sell this knowledge to a select few, or use it to unfairly enrich themselves.
This is how I think mass surveillance can compromise the American Financial System.
NSA versus the American Political System
American history and civics classes always reinforced the dynamic of “checks and balances”. This purported mechanism was constructed to guarantee that no branch of the federal government overstepped their respected boundary.
However, the American political system has consistently evolved since its’ initial inception. We’ve arrived at a crossroad where money, Super-Pacs, soft money campaign contributions, television, radio, and social media steers our political system in an unprecedented manner.
We’ve seen how the IRS is now under the scrutiny and investigation for targeting Republican and Tea Party affiliated political figures. The IRS is accused of illegally going through their emails.
Do you remember the David Petraeus scandal, or New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s bridge debacle? Their political integrity were and are placed on the line by emails and text messages. Imagine the political power that can be yielded if bank rolled special interest groups started throwing massive amounts of money at NSA employees to excavate private dirt on political opponents. What if they paid them to divulge political strategies, and campaign plans of political opponents, to intervene and prematurely counter attack other political candidates?
This is how I believe this era of mass surveillance and collection of data compromises the American political system, financial system, and possibilities of intellectual property.
We are vulnerable and susceptible to a hidden monkey wrench in our daily lives. We don’t know how our data is being used, manipulated, and exploited. We have no way to assess the character and integrity of the individuals that have unlimited access to our most intimate and private plans. The more technology and government become intricately interwoven in our lives, we evolve into victims of control. The person that doesn’t know, will always be the victim to the well informed.
I would advise you to watch the cable show: American Greed. This show profiles how some of the most sophisticated crimes have been orchestrated by individuals in power due to a perversion of their moral character.
Peace
