Government Surveillance of Cell Phones
Audience and goals:
I will be writing to an activist group called “Stop Watching Us.” My goal is to help them
consider the positive effects that government surveillance of cell phones has on the United
States so they will begin to see where our government is coming from when they monitor
cell phone data.
Why I chose this audience:
There are over 100 organizations and Internet companies supporting this group, including
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union) and Mozilla. They have led several rallies to
show Congress about their discomfort on the subject. They argue for reform of the Patriot
Act as well as the FICA. They also want public officials to release information about the
process to US citizens and hold those responsible for the surveillance accountable for their
unconstitutional actions. I want to remind them of the bigger picture and why government
surveillance of cell phones is important for the continuation of the American dream.
Thesis:
Even though it infringes on some personal privacies and creates discomfort for individuals,
government surveillance of cell phones is essential, as it protects national security, saves
lives and property, and is warranted when threats are suspected.
Supporting Arguments:
•Government surveillance prevents terrorist attacks that could harm our national
security
•Lives and property are protected through government surveillance
•Our country would not be as ideal if the government was not monitoring cell phone
