Privacy is a human right.
President Bush signed the FISA Amendment Act into law in 2008. Since then the government has gone through great lengths to monitor activity.
The FISA Amendment Act expanded the governments authority to monitor Americans electronic communications including roving wire taps, searches of business records, and conducting surveillance of lone wolves or individuals suspected of terrorist-related activities not linked to terrorist groups. All communication international or domestic are vulnerable to spying.
An unknown quantity of purely domestic communications have been captured and read under the FISA Act. Between international borders, the rules of privacy don't apply. Our telephone lines, computer activity, and search histories are all subject to search.
Barring the right to privacy, the FISA Act permits the government to conduct surveillance without probable cause or individualized suspicion. How do we exist under the premise that we are always watched? Especially if the government must spy on us without particular warrants or meaningful review from impartial judges.
If the government can't serve and protect our data, how can we arm ourselves? By resigning the majority of our communication to online platforms and social media, users are vulnerable to surveillance and digital capitalism.
Most users have their most sensitive information and their identities existing online. Encryption, and protection of these assets are essential to maintaining our well being from government exploitation.