Me, My Metadata, and the NSA: Privacy and Government Metadata Surveillance Programs

B.C. Newell, Joseph T. Tennis

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

After Edward Snowden leaked classified intelligence records to the press in June 2013, government metadata surveillance programs–and the risk that large-scale metadata collection poses to personal information privacy–has taken center stage in domestic and international debates about privacy and the appropriate role of government. In this paper, the authors approach these questions by drawing upon theory and literature in both law and archival studies. This paper concludes that, because metadata surveillance can be highly intrusive to personal privacy–even more revealing in certain regards than the contents of our communications in some cases–and that certain types of metadata are inextricably linked with the records of our digitally mediated lives, legal distinctions that draw a line between communications “content” and metadata are inappropriate and insufficient to adequately protect personal privacy.
Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationiConference 2014 Proceedings
Pages345-355
Number of pages11
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2014
Externally publishedYes

Publication series

NameiConference 2014 Proceedings

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