Whether or not the US government should continue to heavily monitor US citizens remains a long and fierce debate. Recently, the debate became more brutal when technology, an indispensable tool of modern life, was used by law enforcement and national security officials to spy on Americans' homes. Since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the question of surveillance has often been raised. has hijacked the table in the debate on individual privacy or the fight against terrorism. By passing the Patriot Act, Congress gave President Bush immense law enforcement authority to strengthen America's fight against terrorism, and the president has used his expanded powers to implement specific programs to reduce the threat of terrorism. and defend the security of the country. In early June 2013, Edward Snowden, a 29-year-old former defense contractor who had access to the NSA database while working for an intelligence consulting firm, disclosed classified documents indicating that National Security Agency (NSA) recorded the telephone calls of millions of Americans and collected private information. data and spy on foreign Internet activities. The Washington Post then broke the news about PRISM, a program capable of collecting data on Internet users. The leaked documents publicly stated a broad objection. Many people were shocked by the scale of the programs, even elected officials were unaware of the extent of the surveillance. A national debate on the right to privacy has been sparked. Although its supporters say the NSA is doing its best to protect the United States from terrorists as well as respect the rights and privacy of Americans, many civil rights advocates believe the government has not been clear about the limits of surveillance programs, thereby threatening the security of Americans. civil...... middle of paper ......potential terrorist activity.WORK CITEDMcCutcheon, Chuck. “Government surveillance.” CQ Researcher August 30, 2013: 717-40. Internet. November 20, 2013. “Domestic Surveillance.” Problems and controversies. Facts On File News Services, November 18, 2010. Web. November 20, 2013. “NSA Surveillance Programs.” Problems and controversies. Facts On File News Services, October 14, 2013. Web. November 20, 2013. .WORK CITEDMcCutcheon, Chuck. “Government surveillance.” CQ Researcher August 30, 2013: 717-40. Internet. November 20, 2013. “Domestic Surveillance.” Problems and controversies. Facts On File News Services, November 18, 2010. Web. November 20, 2013. “NSA Surveillance Programs.” Problems and controversies. Facts On File News Services, October 14, 2013. Web. November 20. 2013. .