@ISIDEWITHQuestionsForeign policyStarted 11yrs agoActive 3 days ago

Should the U.S. continue NSA surveillance of its allies?

The cache of documents revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden disclosed that the U.S. used surveillance methods to monitor the emails and phone calls of its closest foreign allies including Germany, France and Brazil. The revelations have severely damaged the U.S.'s relationship with these countries even though State Department officials have insisted that these surveillance programs have thwarted many terrorist threats worldwide.

+
Expand
+ Settings x  Multnomah (Oregon)

Toggle voterbase

Statistics are shown for this demographic

Answer Overview

Response rates from 19.9k Multnomah voters.

40%
Yes
60%
No
33%
Yes
45%
No
7%
Yes, surveillance of all foreign countries is essential to tracking potential terrorist threats
12%
No, spying on our allies severely damages our reputation abroad
3%
No, and abolish the NSA

Historical Support

Trend of support over time for each answer from 19.9k Multnomah voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Historical Importance

Trend of how important this issue is for 19.9k Multnomah voters.

Loading data...

Loading chart... 

Other Popular Answers

Unique answers from Multnomah voters whose views went beyond the provided options.

 @8T7CGV9 from Texas  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes surveillance all countries

 @8JCJLWV from Texas  answered…4yrs4Y

Probably yes -- all nations do this, yes?

 @chickentaco from Utah  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes, but only with the permission of the ally in question so long as they can do the same with us, and only target individuals or organizations with suspected ties to terrorists/subversive movements.

 @9D8GBQR from Texas  answered…2yrs2Y

Yes, surveillance of all foreign countries is essential to tracking potential terrorist threats and increase surveillance on drug traffickers and on sex and slave traffickers

 @9GN5KWP from North Carolina  answered…1yr1Y

Yes, as long as they can do the same to us and a warrant is acquired that proves the surveilled target’s link to criminal or terrorist interests

 @8T9C8C6 from Texas  answered…4yrs4Y

Yes and surveillance all countries

 @9NLZLPX from North Carolina  answered…9mos9MO

Yes, as long as a warrant showing probable cause of criminal or terrorist activity is acquired first. Involve our allies in joint surveillance if possible

  @Yaunti from New York  answered…2yrs2Y

No, abolish the NSA and rely on the UN

Latest News

Stay up-to-date on the most recent “NSA Surveillance” news articles, updated frequently.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…10mos10MO

FBI Wanted "Back Door" On Telegram Text App To Spy On Users

The US government had wanted a backdoor to Telegram in order to potentially spy on its users, the social media platform’s founder Pavel Durov said in an interview with American journalist Tucker Carlson. The attention from the FBI was one of the reasons Durov dropped the idea of setting up the company in San Francisco, he said. Born in St Petersburg, Durov first founded VK, Russia’s answer to Facebook, together with his mathematician brother Nikolay. The brothers later developed the Telegram messaging service and social media platform, which describes itself as one of the safest and well-protected communication tools.urov sold his stake in VK and left Russia in 2014 due to disagreements with the government. He lived in several countries while looking for the best place to run Telegram from, and ultimately settled in Dubai. In an interview published on Wednesday, Durov said that he visited the US several times and even met with former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. He was under the watchful eye of the FBI, which made his stays in America uneasy, he said. “We got too much attention from the FBI, the security agencies, wherever we came,” Durov told Carlson, describing the experience as “alarming.” According to Durov, one of his top employees once told him that he had been approached by the US government. “There was a secret attempt to hire my engineer behind my back by cybersecurity officers,” the businessman said.“They were trying to persuade him to use certain open-source tools that he would then integrate into Telegram’s code that, in my understanding, would serve as backdoors,” Durov said. He added that he believes the employee’s account. “There is no reason for my engineer to make up (such) stories.”Durov went on to say that he also had “personally experienced similar pressure” in America, where law enforcement officials approached him on multiple occasions.

▲  63 replies

 @ThrilledB4llotBox from New York submitted…10mos10MO

Banning TikTok is a Power Grab for the Deep State

If the bill's supporters get what they want, millions of Americans would find their ability to access TikTok terminated by the government, just in time for the November 2024 election. This radical state intervention was endorsed last week by the House Energy and Commerce Committee in a unanimous 50-0 vote, establishing a coveted bipartisan consensus in favor of expelling American users from their preferred social media platform. This extreme action is to be carried out, as usual, in the alleged name of "national security," and to more aggressively combat perceived "foreign adversaries."The bill names TikTok as a "foreign adversary controlled application," with the "adversary" in question being China, but it also goes further and prohibits "applications" associated with the standard litany of official U.S. "adversaries"—Russia, North Korea, and Iran. More additions to the list are always possible, perhaps in the event that Cuba or Venezuela develop a short-form dance video app that becomes suspiciously popular with American teens.Another provision authorizes the President, who is currently Joe Biden and may soon be Donald Trump, to make unilateral determinations about whether certain applications "present a significant threat to the national security of the United States," and therefore must be banned like TikTok. The criteria for making such a determination is left conspicuously vague.So if you really want to give Biden or Trump more unilateral power to control the proliferation of content online, this appears to be just the bill for you.

▲  297 replies1 agree1 disagree

Popular Conversations

Join in on the most popular conversations.

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…7 days7D

China Blacklists U.S. Companies In Trade War Escalation

China's blacklisting of PVH (Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger) and Illumina marks the first time American companies with major Chinese operations have been targeted on national security grounds, signaling an escalation in trade tensions.The blacklisting came in response to Trump's imposition of additional 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, alongside Beijing launching an antitrust probe into Google.A record 30% of American Chamber of Commerce member companies were considering or already moving operations out of China, according to a recent survey.China's "unreliable entity list," introduced in 2020, mirrors the US "entity list" and could result in fines, trade bans, and restrictions on staff movement for targeted companies.PVH, which derives 6% of revenue and 16% of pre-interest/tax income from China, was specifically targeted over alleged "unreasonable boycotting" of Xinjiang cotton.The blacklisting's implications remain unclear, leaving approximately 1,000 PVH employees in China uncertain about their future.China's Commerce Ministry has declined to specify potential sanctions, stating only that companies operating with integrity have "nothing to worry about."The move contradicts China's public stance on wanting more foreign investment, creating increased uncertainty for multinational companies operating in the country.The blacklisting strategy appears selective, with China typically avoiding targeting market leaders to minimize domestic employment impact.US companies were already struggling to navigate rising Beijing-Washington tensions before this latest escalation in trade conflicts.

▲  2011 replies

 @ISIDEWITH submitted…2wks2W

Jon Stewart Begs Democrats To ‘Please Stop Trotting Out Chuck Schumer!'

Jon Stewart criticized Democrats for repeatedly using Chuck Schumer as their spokesperson against Trump, calling his performances ineffective and monotonous.Stewart mocked Schumer's response to Trump's trade war threats, particularly his simplistic explanation about Mexican imports like Corona beer and avocados.The former Daily Show host expressed frustration at Schumer's basic observation that "guacamole is made of avocados" as a response to complex trade policy issues.Stewart sarcastically highlighted the Democrats' poor strategic choice in selecting Schumer to counter Trump, whom he described as "one of the most savvy presidential media manipulators in history."The comedian ridiculed Schumer's appearance and presentation style, particularly mocking his use of reading glasses positioned low on his nose.Stewart's criticism centered on the Democratic leadership's judgment in repeatedly choosing an "uninteresting" and "monotone" spokesperson.The commentary addressed Trump's threats of tariffs against Canada and Mexico, though focused more on the Democratic response than the policy itself.Stewart used hyperbole to emphasize his point, stating that Schumer's speaking makes him "want to bomb Canada."The piece highlighted the perceived disconnect between Democratic messaging strategy and effective opposition to Trump's policies.Stewart's criticism suggested a broader frustration with Democratic leadership's media strategy and public presentation.

▲  4817 replies