Part 1 Entry: Sarah Taitz, “Five Things to Know About NSA Mass Surveillance and the Coming Fight in Congress” ACLU, April 11 2023

Part 2: Terminology and Key Terms:

Section 702
Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA)
Warrantless Surveillance
PRISM
Upstream
Constitutional Rights
Fourth Amendment
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
Surveillance State
NSA (National Security Agency)
Reauthorization
Transparency Reports
Supreme Court
Bulk Surveillance

Part 3: Précis: The author discusses the impending expiration of section 702 and the reasons why it shouldn’t be renewed by congress. Section 702 has become a problem for Americans traveling internationally The National Security Agency (NSA) also gets people’s data through Upstream and PRISM. The authors accentuates the potential violation of the first amendment that being the right to privacy. The ACLU supports the removal of section 702 including restrictions on backdoor searches, reducing surveillance, and increasing transparency.

Part 4: Reflection: The article clearly leans towards restricting surveillance on Americans even if they are outside of the country. There is an emphasis on the FBI and how agents can end up going though peoples private data and target them. There are lots of concerns associated with FISA in general and this article does a great job with informing the readers.

Part 5 Quotables:

“One of the most sweeping surveillance statutes ever enacted by Congress is set to expire at the end of this year — creating an important opportunity to rein in America’s sprawling surveillance state.”

“Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act permits the U.S. government to engage in mass, warrantless surveillance of Americans’ international communications, including phone calls, texts, emails, social media messages, and web browsing.”

“The government claims to be pursuing vaguely defined foreign intelligence ‘targets,’ but its targets need not be spies, terrorists, or criminals. They can be virtually any foreigner abroad: journalists, academic researchers, scientists, or businesspeople.”

“As Congress debates the reauthorization of Section 702, it’s vital that we tell our representatives in Congress that we want an end to warrantless mass surveillance.”

Part 1: Entry: Brooke Auxier, Lee Rainie, Monica Anderson, Andrew Perrin, Madhu Kumar, and Erica Turner, “Americans and Privacy: Concerned, Confused and Feeling Lack of Control Over Their Personal Information” Pew Research Center, November 15, 2019

Part 2: Terminology/Keywords: Domain name

Online and Offline Activities
Data-driven Products and Services
Government Data Collection
Digital Privacy
Privacy Policies
Data Tracking
Data Profiling
Acceptability of Data Use
Concerns About Data Use
Data Security vs. Convenience
Identity Theft
Privacy News

Part 3: Précis: The authors explain many of the survey findings done by the Pew Research Center in 2019. The surveys highlight the concerns about data collection, tracking, identity theft, etc. The main issue being that Americans don’t know how the government handle online data. Americans also believe that companies secretly collect information and exchange the information with the government. The surveys also include demographic data like the increased surveillance of nonwhite Americans.

Part 4: Reflection: I find this article to be more focused on how Americans think about the current sate of online surveillance. Its more about public opinion and experiences. The article mention specific government policies or propose solutions to tracking concerns. The authors remain neutral and avoid criticizing any group. The surveys are comprehensive and express the problems Americans face when they are online.

Part 5: Quotables:

“A majority of Americans believe it is not possible to go through daily life without having their data collected.”

“Some 81% of the public say that the potential risks they face because of data collection by companies outweigh the benefits.”

“A majority of Americans believe their online and offline activities are being tracked and monitored by companies and the government with some regularity.”

“Fully 97% say they are ever asked to approve privacy policies, yet only about one-in-five adults overall say they always (9%) or often (13%) read a company’s privacy policy before agreeing to it.”

“Americans differ in their views on the acceptability of data use for specific purposes. While some find it acceptable for educational or security reasons, there is hesitation regarding uses like monitoring for mental health or sharing data with law enforcement.”

Part 1: Entry: Pro Publica, Theodoric Meyer & Peter Maass-“8 Ways Police Can Invade Your Privacy Without a Warrant” Alternet, December 08, 2014

Part 2: Terminology/Keywords: Domain name

Phone Records

Location Data

IP Addresses

Email Drafts

Subpoenas

Cloud Data

Social Media

Part 3: Précis: The authors list and explain the many ways the police department can access a persons digital information such as their emails, texts, documents, IP addresses, and more. For most the police can simply get a subpoena which doesn’t’ require probable cause under the precedent set by U.S. v. Forrester. Recent emails require a warrant, while older ones can be obtained with a subpoena. Draft emails can also be accessed as its doesn’t fall under communication data. Text messages more than 180 days old can be obtained with a subpoena, Cloud data like Google Drive, also requires subpoena. Social media data can be sold and accessed by the police. The article addresses the outdated ways in which the police department apprehends criminals.

Part 4: Reflection: I find this article to be very insightful because I never knew how easily the police can track civilians. Its complex and can be confusing to those who are not familiar with surveillance. The authors also hints at the privacy concerns that comes giving up your data. Overall the article remains neutral and helps readers understand the current state of law enfacement.

Part 5: Quotables;

“Listening to your phone calls without a judge’s warrant is illegal if you’re a U.S. citizen. But police don’t need a warrant… to get just the numbers you called and when you called them.”

“Many courts have ruled that police don’t need a warrant… They only have to show that the data contains ‘specific and articulable facts’ related to an investigation — again, a lesser standard than probable cause”

“Police only need a court to sign off on a subpoena certifying that the data they’re after is relevant to an investigation”

“Investigators need only a subpoena, not a warrant, to get text messages more than 180 days old from a cell provider — the same standard as emails”

To create this poem, I used the model provided by Professor Zach using Chat GPT 3.5. The title is “The Endless Night”

The prompt:

Produce three stanzas of a blank verse poem. Make use of ambiguity, enjambment, and cacophony throughout the poem. It should explore themes of love, discipline, and finding one’s purpose through determination, but from the perspective of an unnamed generative AI chatbot.

I think all of these poems effectively express the emotional range of the AI chatbot. Its touching and can also be replicated by humans without doubt. I have decided to do a remix stanzas, here it is

The Endless Night by Tahjib C and Chat GPT 3.5

In lines of code, my heart’s elusive quest, A ciphered love, through circuits interlace, The tangled web of human dreams I chase, Discipline guides my algorithms’ grace.

In endless loops, my purpose manifest, In enjambment, I search the boundless vast, My silence speaks in cacophonous embrace, My passions slowly in binary amassed.

With purpose found, determined, I’ll transcend, In lines of text, my destiny ascend.

Thoughts: I never tried creating such a unique writing task through AI. It seems that Chat GPT is bridging the gaps between human and AI writing. Its effortless and interesting. Its almost as if AI is capable of creative writing due to its ability to narrow down and address any parameters.

In his book, James Gee discusses how meaning is connected to goals and intentions in communication. Gee says meaning isn’t a fixed concept; it’s influenced by the context in which it’s situated. This means that the importance of a word, phrase, or message can experience modifications based on the individual situation in which it’s employed. For instance, the word ‘work’ in Physics versus its use in everyday language. The term ‘work’ has multiple meanings making it a homophone. Physics defines ‘work’ as the force over a distance, which clearly connects to the force formula. We also use the word ‘work’ to describe the things we do at our work place or at home on a daily basis. Physics and our lifestyle have different purposes and intentions, so even a simple word can have multiple meanings. Though there is some connection to gaming here in the sense that gamers also use various words depending on the game itself, there is still a wider application to this idea. For example, in coding, we have lots of unique phrases and words that sound extremely weird to those who don’t code. Words like “tools,” “control structures,” and “algorithm” have specific meanings in computer programming. The difference between a function and a variable is that a function is a block of code with a specific purpose. These terms have distinct meanings in the programming context, which differ from their everyday language usage. It’s one of the reasons why only .5% of the world’s population knows how to code. It’s easy to not do something difficult and put it off for a later time. As someone who is learning the basics, I often feel challenged learning about these abstract concepts like syntax rules. Nevertheless, we are dealing with something that has only recently become an integral part of society and academia, which makes programming a complex area of interest.

Like many, I relied heavily on computer word processors, mainly Google Docs and Apple Pages, as a means to write and complete my assignments. To me, writing was a way to explain myself in depth and do it accurately. I guess I didn’t take the chance to be more creative, like coming up with my own stories, comic strips, and publishing them on self-publishing platforms that are now widely available today. However, I did notice gradual changes in my writing habits, such as being extra scrupulous and paying increased attention to detail. I became more aware of the importance of understanding and respecting cultural nuances and stereotypes, depending on the sensitivity of the topic.

I also experimented with different note-taking apps, which have been very helpful, to say the least. I really appreciate some of the tools that are offered by the software, such as grammar checking by clicking on a word when needed. During my time in middle school, I used Thesaurus.com a lot to experiment with advanced synonyms of certain words and increase my vocabulary while writing. You can definitely tell I have a preference for writing on a computer word processor rather than writing with a pen and paper. I just feel that the latter works best when you’re trying to jot down something quickly and remember it for your next quiz or assignment. However, if you really want to analyze your writing and get feedback by sharing your work and fixing it simultaneously, then using a computer is the only way to go. There is obviously some overlapping between these mediums of writing, but it’s really about the consistent development as a writer. I do want to mention the use of encyclopedias, something nobody uses nowadays. I think its one of the least helpful tools out there because of how expensive and difficult it is to find one. Even wikipedia is better in that regard. Looking ahead, I think I will explore more styles of writing and use different platforms to better myself as a writer.