Do U.S. surveillance programs threaten freedom of the press?

July 28, 2014
Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union air large-scale government surveillance concerns.

As reported today by Reuters, "U.S. surveillance programs are making it more difficult for government officials to speak to the press anonymously, two rights groups said on Monday."

"Large-scale surveillance, on top of the Obama administration's crackdown on national security leaks, threatens the freedom of the press and the right to legal counsel, Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union said in a joint report," continues the Reuters piece. "The National Security Agency's surveillance programs, which include the collection of telephone 'metadata,' have heightened government officials' concerns about dealing with the media, as 'any interaction - any email, any phone call - risks leaving a digital trace that could subsequently be used against them,' the report said."

The rights groups reportedly interviewed more than 90 journalists, lawyers, and current or former senior U.S. government officials in compiling their claims, adds Reuters.

Read the full story at Reuters.


About the Author

Matt Vincent | Senior Editor

Matt Vincent is a B2B technology journalist, editor and content producer with over 15 years of experience, specializing in the full range of media content production and management, as well as SEO and social media engagement best practices, for both Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine and its website CablingInstall.com. He currently provides trade show, company, executive and field technology trend coverage for the ICT structured cabling, telecommunications networking, data center, IP physical security, and professional AV vertical market segments. Email: [email protected]

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