U.S. Surveillance Is Not Aimed at Terrorists

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June 24 (Bloomberg) -- The debate over the U.S.government’s monitoring of digital communications suggests thatAmericans are willing to allow it as long as it is genuinelytargeted at terrorists. What they fail to realize is that thesurveillance systems are best suited for gathering informationon law-abiding citizens.

People concerned with online privacy tend to calm down whentold that the government can record their calls or read their e-mail only under special circumstances and with proper courtorders. The assumption is that they have nothing to worry aboutunless they are terrorists or correspond with the wrong people.