Step 2: Analysis
THE WASHINGTON POST published new revelations in October 2013 that the NSA had intercepted massive amounts of data from the private data links that connect Google and Yahoo data centers around the world.
In the second stage of the critical process—analysis, you will isolate patterns that emerged from the interviews and stories and that call for closer attention. For example:
- Was the data collection on subjects outside of the United States, or were U.S. citizens also subject to data collection? Should this distinction make a difference?
- Did U.S. citizens know about these data-collection programs? What had been publicly disclosed, if anything, before Snowden’s leaks?
- What communications of yours (e.g., Google, Apple, Facebook, mobile phone) could have been potentially swept up in the data-collection programs?
- Was there sufficient oversight (e.g., by Congress) of these data-collection programs?
- Was anyone put at risk because of Snowden’s leaks? Explain.
- Is it possible to verify that the various secret data-collection programs made U.S. citizens safer?