Threat to National Security
Reports from the Human Rights Watch as well as documents released to the public by National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden revealed that countries like the U.S. and U.K. have been abusing their power in cyberspace for quite some time and intercepting communications on a global scale. In addition to the issues of ethics that arise with the U.S. government’s part in what some have deemed “global spying,” it also raises concerns about what could happen if such practices are being reciprocated. Foreign enemies could possibly partake in the same practices and pose a serious threat to national security. The U.S. Human Rights Watch issued a report urging for nations to consider updating international standards to keep up with the rapid evolution of technology and ultimately protect privacy in the digital age. “Just as national laws have become outdated, international standards have also not kept pace with technological change,” the report said. “The Human Rights Committee’s General Comment 16 on the right to privacy has not been updated since 1988, which predates the commercial Internet.”