Last week’s revelation that the NSA had been collecting millions of contact lists from personal email and instant message accounts heightened unanswered questions about the National Security Agency.

The Guardian had reported this summer that the U.S. National Security Agency was collecting the telephone records of millions of Verizon customers. It was also reported that the NSA was accessing Google, Facebook and other Internet databases under the PRISM program, which allowed the NSA to collect information such as emails and search histories.

The Washington Post reported on Oct. 14 that the NSA had been collecting millions of email address books from around the world, avoiding congressional restrictions by collecting the data overseas.

The Daily Orange spoke with Syracuse University professors about the NSA leaks, the NSA as a whole and what this means for the privacy of everyday citizens.

The D.O.: What is the NSA and what exactly are they responsible for?

Joon Park, an associate professor in the School of Information Studies who works in the Center for Academic Excellence in Information Assurance (a group the NSA has appointed to do research on making information systems safer):

“No one really knows what the details are at the NSA. Their known mission is to protect the nation and to gain advantages for the U.S. and our allies in electronic communications.”

The D.O.: Why have they come under fire lately?

William Banks, a professor in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs and Director of the Institute for National Security and Counterterrorism:

“The stuff that is controversial is collecting meta-data. Meta-data is transactional information, email addresses, phone numbers dialed and received, email headers; basically the envelope information rather than the contents.”

Roy Gutterman, an associate professor in the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the director of the Tully Center for Free Speech:

“The NSA has come under controversy for having information leaked by Edward Snowden that says they monitor meta-data, aggravate emails, and other surveillance programs. In some ways it does appear there are invasions of privacy, we don’t know all their methods of information collection.”

The D.O.: Do you think the NSA might have access to Syracuse University’s students’ emails? Do you think this is a threat to the average U.S. citizen’s privacy?

Park: “In terms of wanting to access Syracuse student’s email, I can totally see them wanting to do that. The reason is, is that university is a good place to hide people’s identity, because it’s one of the easiest way for terrorists to come to the country. It gives them the ability to stay in the country for a few years.

Overall, what our nation can do in the future is emphasize transparency. If there are more privacy or user consent policies, I wouldn’t necessarily have a problem with surveillance. We all want to protect the nation, it’s only fair to ask for transparency in return.”

Banks: “The NSA would not lawfully be able to see SU student’s email unless they go to a special FISA court to get authority through the justice department. The FISA courts operate in secret, understandably so, as it’s intelligence, so it needs to remain secret.”

Gutterman: “The average citizen isn’t in the government’s crosshairs, however every time you open an online account you run the risk of not only government officials invading your information but hackers, too. Anyone who doesn’t want to risk their online identity should stay off the grid.

In terms of getting access to Syracuse student’s email I believe it would be relatively easy for them to if they really wanted.”

Published on October 23, 2013 at 12:35 am