Americans Still Guard Telephone, E-mail Privacy - Study

By Michael Bartlett, Newsbytes
WASHINGTON, D.C., U.S.A.,
19 Sep 2001, 5:38 PM CST

Last week's terrorist attacks have prompted a few Americans to say
they are more willing to trade some personal privacy for security,
according to a new study.

However, while some respondents told the Pew Research Center
they generally supported the concept of
sacrificing some civil liberties in order to try to curb terrorism,
when asked specifically about increased government monitoring of
personal telephone calls or e-mails, most balked.

The study found 70 percent of Americans oppose giving away the right
to private communications via phone or e-mail. Twenty-six percent
said they were in favor of the idea, with 4 percent in the "don't
know" category.

The Pew Research center surveyed U.S. 1,200 adults from Sept. 13-17
for this study.

Elizabeth Gross, the special projects director for the Pew Research
Center, said compared to previous polls from the past decade, the
latest study shows a few more Americans are willing to allow the
government to eavesdrop. She said in the wake of last week's
terrorist attacks, some people are willing to trade some personal
freedoms for security.

[...]

I ain't got nothing to hide. The government can read my emails as much is it likes (and it can kiss, my arse if it's reading this). I actually don't mind the idea of the government watching everything we do. Of course it would be even better if we were able to watch everything it did.

then you'd better be prepared to work dutifully for the company, as that government that's trying to emerge from this is going to bite your arse for any wrong thinking and throw you in a hole

An illegal President, illegally declares a war, to protect illegal drug deals and genocide for oil in the Third World, and we who oppose it, are the terrorists.