Privacy. In a world dominated by social media networks such as Facebook, we lose track of how much information we are submitting into the vortex of the Internet. Whether submitting a response to a single question in an online survey or actively posting on friends’ Facebook walls, we reveal more and more about ourselves.

The amount of information on the web also paves the path for a multitude of companies that scan personal data and target users. Others, such as the government, scan your Facebook profiles and gather information about your race, gender, political outlook, and frequently visited locations.

Every Facebook post and every email you send is stored in cyberspace. Remember that embarrassing photo you thought you had deleted a couple days back? It’s not entirely gone. Hitting “delete” does absolutely nothing; the government or any other related agency can pull up anything “deleted” whenever it wants.

One San Francisco based company called Wickr, which builds self-destructing texts akin to the concept of Snapchat’s self-destructing images, stated that they were approached by the FBI to install a “back door” into their server, so the federal agency could have easy access to its data. Although the CEO refused to comply, many other technology giants, such as Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple, have been coerced in a similar manner.

As you have been assured that all your electronic data is private, you might say, “That’s a HUGE violation of my privacy rights! The government can’t do that!”

Unfortunately, they can. In fact, the whole surveillance thing started back in 1994, with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Under CALEA, the FBI has the authority to record all telecommunication, broadband, and VoIP activity of any individual using media in the U.S. Another law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was just extended, allows for surveillance of “foreign intelligence” within the United States. In other words, this law gives the government the authority to sift through electronic information to determine if there is any “leak” of classified information to foreign agencies from within America.

These rigid surveillance policies may be seen as a breach of privacy. And the saga continues: the government and its supporters argue that this invasion of privacy is a necessity in order to ensure the security of American citizens, while staunch opponents argue that privacy should be preserved at all costs.

That brings up the quintessential question: in light of the recent reports about the NSA’s invasion of privacy, is what the government is doing bad? Although many label its actions an infringement of their rights, I firmly believe that federal agencies are using private data to prevent any comprises on security.

Privacy. In a world dominated by social media networks such as Facebook and  , we lose track of how much information we are submitting into the vortex of the Internet. Whether submitting a response to a single question in an online survey or actively posting on friends’ Facebook walls, we reveal more and more about ourselves.

The amount of information on the web also paves the path for a multitude of companies that scan personal data and target users. Others, such as the government, scan your Facebook profiles and gather information about your race, gender, political outlook, and frequently visited locations.

Every Facebook post and every email you send is stored in cyberspace. Remember that embarrassing photo you thought you had deleted a couple days back? It’s not entirely gone. Hitting “delete” does absolutely nothing; the government or any other related agency can pull up anything “deleted” whenever it wants.

One San Francisco based company called Wickr, which builds self-destructing texts akin to the concept of Snapchat’s self-destructing images, stated that they were approached by the FBI to install a “back door” into their server, so the federal agency could have easy access to its data. Although the CEO refused to comply, many other technology giants, such as Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple, have been coerced in a similar manner.

As you have been assured that all your electronic data is private, you might say, “That’s a HUGE violation of my privacy rights! The government can’t do that!”

Unfortunately, they can. In fact, the whole surveillance thing started back in 1994, with the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA). Under CALEA, the FBI has the authority to record all telecommunication, broadband, and VoIP activity of any individual using media in the U.S. Another law, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, which was just extended, allows for surveillance of “foreign intelligence” within the United States. In other words, this law gives the government the authority to sift through electronic information to determine if there is any “leak” of classified information to foreign agencies from within America.

These rigid surveillance policies may be seen as a breach of privacy. And the saga continues: the government and its supporters argue that this invasion of privacy is a necessity in order to ensure the security of American citizens, while staunch opponents argue that privacy should be preserved at all costs.

That brings up the quintessential question: in light of the recent reports about the NSA’s invasion of privacy, is what the government is doing bad? Although many label its actions an infringement of their rights, I firmly believe that federal agencies are using private data to prevent any comprises on security.

“Ultimately, the government’s focus is the well-being of its constituents. And if this is the goal, it is more than justified in taking the actions it has. Only when the infringement of liberty outweighs the protection of peoples’ lives should we truly begin to reconsider whether our inherent rights are being compromised. “

This piece was originally published in the pages of the Winged Post on Jan. 27, 2014.