National Security Agency, Snowden, Spying, Data-collection

This is a large topic with countless articles (and new information being revealed all the time). I am sure many of you have read about it, but for those who haven't I have included a couple of articles.  The questions are just to get you started; feel free to bring anything to the table, even if it does not answer one of these questions directly.

Questions:

• Top officials in the U.S. Have labeled Snowden a traitor, claiming he jeopardized national security. Has he jeopardized security? Are his leaks potentially dangerous?  Or is he acting as watchdog, catalyzing necessary regulations of the NSA?
• What type of information has the NSA been collecting (and from whom?)  How have they justified this?  Is it justification?
• What is the difference between collecting data on foreign officials, and collecting data on foreign citizens?  What is the difference (moral, ethical, practical) between collecting data on US citizens, versus collecting data on foreign citizens?
• Do other governments do this?  How can it be regulated? 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013