Blog Post #10
What are some of the benefits of the Patriot Act today, and why are they important?
The Patriot Act basically states that the government is allowed to use surveillance as a tool to aid in national security to prevent attacks such as 9/11 in the future. According to Parenti, some of these forms of surveillance include search warrants, subpoenas, tracking, wiretaps, etc. All of these tools are important because they allow the government to get a feel for how secure some places are and if there are any potential threats, they can step in before things get out of hand. It’s understandable why this can make people feel uncomfortable and like they have no privacy, but it’s also important to consider the benefits and how this act can keep us safe.Â
2. Why would the Patriot Act broaden the definition of a “terrorist?”
The Patriot Act would technically broaden the meaning of a “terrorist” because, instead of the word meaning someone who is specifically targeting the United States with bad intentions, it has a variety of meanings. Like Professor Lee’s slides said, a terrorist can now technically be defined as a person who doesn’t get a permit for a protest or “anyone who breaks the law in order to impact policy or change public opinion and does so in a way that might endanger human life” (slide 5). This can create a large amount of fear and uncertainty because it doesn’t seem like threats are being taken as seriously as they should be, in a way.Â
3. Why are protests seen as such a threat in the eyes of the government?
The government sees protests as a “threat” because it’s sort of the people’s way of challenging the government’s power. People are able to have their voices heard when protesting and see it as a chance for them to speak up for what they believe in and what needs to be fixed. Protests can be a great tool to spread awareness and educate others when done peacefully; however, when protests start looking more like riots, that’s when they’re much less beneficial. The government is supposed to be run as a democracy and consider the people’s point of view and what will best serve them, but when the government wants all the power (which is what it looks like as of right now), that’s when the people get worried and more protests come to light.Â
4. Why is it important to keep track of your digital footprint?
Your digital footprint can be extremely important because it has to do with your safety, both online and in real life. Some of the examples we discussed in class included how phones allow apps to track you and use your data to improve things, such as AI. These features are built in or reset with every update to your phone, and users have to manually turn off tracking for each app. This is crazy to me because it seems like a lot of work to go through to prevent people from knowing their apps are tracking them and using their data. It may be true that some of it is for safety purposes and bettering technology, but it also limits our privacy and makes some people feel unsafe in their own homes because their devices are always listening to them.Â
5. How can people lock down their digital identity to avoid cyberstalking and harassment in online spaces?
People can take the steps to make the internet a safer place for themselves by using VPNs, clearing their cookies, deleting data from digital assistants such as Siri and Alexa, checking the credibility of a website before using it, etc. There are a variety of tools out there meant to help protect people and keep them safe from online threats, as well as protect their identity and avoid things such as identity theft, cyberstalking, cyberbullying, harassment, etc. When using any sort of map on a device, it saves your locations to make it more convenient for you to find them later, but this can also be dangerous because if anyone were to get a hold of your phone or look at your map, they could easily find out which places you frequent the most.Â
Locking down Your Digital Identity – Femtechnet, www.femtechnet.org/csov/lock-down-your-digital-identity/. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.Â
Parenti, C. Fear as Institution: 9/11 and Surveillance Triumphant. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.Â
Power, Matthew. “How Your Twitter Account Could Land You in Jail.” Mother Jones, 11 Mar. 2010, www.motherjones.com/politics/2010/03/police-twitter-riots-social-media-activists/.Â
Tactical Tech. “Homepage.” Data Detox Kit, datadetox.myshadow.org/en/detox. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.Â













