Posted: February 8th, 2023

The Privacy Act of 1974 and other privacy statutes

Do you feel that information systems to fight terrorism should be developed and used even if they infringe on privacy rights or violate the Privacy Act of 1974 and other such statutes? It must be in APA format.
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The issue of balancing privacy rights and the use of information systems to fight terrorism is a complex and controversial one. On one hand, information systems can be a valuable tool in detecting and preventing acts of terrorism. On the other hand, the use of these systems can raise serious concerns about privacy rights, particularly if they involve the collection, storage, and use of personal information in ways that are not authorized by law or are inconsistent with established privacy principles.

The Privacy Act of 1974 and other privacy statutes, such as the Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), are designed to protect privacy rights and limit the government’s ability to collect and use personal information. These laws generally require that the government have a compelling need for the information and that it be obtained through lawful means, such as a warrant or court order.

While information systems can be a useful tool in the fight against terrorism, it is important to ensure that their use complies with privacy laws and principles and does not undermine the privacy rights of individuals. Ultimately, the proper balance between privacy rights and national security concerns is a matter of public policy that should be determined through a democratic and transparent process, taking into account the views of experts, stakeholders, and the general public.
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Info Systems and the Fight against Terrorism
Information systems should be developed and used to fight terrorism since safety paramount to privacy. Information systems offer a wide range of capabilities and, under the hands of experts, can be used to accomplish milestones for government agencies. Recently, there have been concerns that the government infringes on people’s privacy to gain intelligence on terror. The Privacy Act of 1974 was amended to govern agencies’ collection, maintenance, use, and dissemination of citizen’s information (DoJ, 2020). Moreover, these agencies are supposed to make public notice of their activities. This has not been the case for government agencies hence the nationwide uproar. People feel that the data mining being conducted by the federal government is against privacy statues. However, they forget to consider the sensitivity of terrorism matters. After 9/11, the DHS has been hell-bent on protecting America regardless of the cost. This includes breaking specific laws to put the safety of Americans at a top priority. Data mining and profiling techniques have been used to narrow down on criminals planning to execute dangerous plans. Social media is a large platform, and terrorists have been known to liaise on the internet due to its global penetration. Emerging technologies such as smart tech can be used to notify law enforcement departments and help them arrive at a crime scene faster. Smart tech systems will be able to detect gunshots and offer crime-mapping platforms. The American Civil Liberties Union claims that government agencies are violating privacy statutes with the use of IT systems (Sorensen, 2017). It would be unreasonable for agencies to reveal projects on terrorism as they would compromise their mission. Therefore, it is fair to say that the development of information systems to fight terrorism is necessary even if it violates statutes. The most important thing is delivering safety across the nation.
References
DoJ. (2020). Privacy Act of 1974. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacy-act-1974
Sorensen, E. (2017). IRS breaking law by mining data, probing social media, says WSU professor. Retrieved from https://news.wsu.edu/2017/08/23/irs-breaking-law/
Smith, K.T., Smith, L.M., Burger, M. and Boyle, E.S., 2023. Cyber terrorism cases and stock market valuation effects. Information & Computer Security.
Spiekermann, S., Krasnova, H., Hinz, O., Baumann, A., Benlian, A., Gimpel, H., Heimbach, I., Köster, A., Maedche, A., Niehaves, B. and Risius, M., 2022. Values and Ethics in Information Systems: A State-of-the-Art Analysis and Avenues for Future Research. Business & Information Systems Engineering, 64(2), pp.247-264.
Singh, K. and Best, P., 2019. Anti-money laundering: Using data visualization to identify suspicious activity. International Journal of Accounting Information Systems, 34, p.100418.