Fourth Amendment Essay

Words: 767
Pages: 4

The actions of the NSA, CIA, and PRISM were unconstitutional because it violated the
Constitutions concept of privacy. Under the fourth amendment it states, “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.” However, the CIA, NSA, and PRISM played their own roles in breaking the fourth amendment under the Constitution claiming to be taking action to protect American citizens from terrorist attacks. Both the CIA and NSA made secret arrangements with large phone companies,
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The three programs not only abused their power but so did the phone companies and Internet companies as well by being part of the actions in spying. “The Prism program allows the NSA, the world's largest surveillance organization, to obtain targeted communications without having to request them from the service providers and without having to obtain individual court orders.” The making of PRISM opened a dangerous door that allows access to an abundance of power and information to very few individuals. This act from the programs brought distrust to the internet. Our safety should not come at a cost to giving up our privacy. The Vernonia School District located in Oregon had been experiencing many similarities in regards to the clear line of the fourth Amendment. Vernonia’s student-athletes had been known for taking drugs to boost their play during games. Administrators at the school saw that it fit best to require one of the students on the team, at random, to take a urinary test in order to compete. However, this brought many parents and student-athletes to a disagreement saying that their privacy is being provoked through searching the student's items without a warrant. This obviously was not their only complaint but was one that brought in a larger scale of rules beyond a school district. All the athletes involved with a sport got to play, but at a cost. Same