As the internet becomes more popular, newspapers are becoming a thing of the past. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

In our digital world, some controversy exists over whether or not the government should have access to our personal communication. While it is argued by some that the state should automatically be able to obtain

this

information in the interests of national security, others believe it to be an unnecessary invasion of privacy which should not be allowed. I do not believe that the issue is so clear-cut. On the one hand, many believe that, in the current global and digital climate, the availability of records of our personal messages to security services and governments is an essential tool in the fight against

cyber crime

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cybercrime

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, terrorism and fraud. By having access to these records, crimes can be pre-empted and, with the intelligence gathered by national security systems, potential suspects can be identified, minimising the occurrence of similar future

crime

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crimes

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. Those who favour

this

side of the argument would consider

this

to be a necessary consequence of a digital world.

However

,

on the other hand

, there are those who maintain that technological advances should not compromise our right to privacy. Those who are against the sharing of our personal information with the authorities would argue

this

right must be protected in the same way handwritten letters or personal face-to-face conversations are private.

This

group is of the opinion that, by allowing the authorities access to our private conversations, we may be manipulated or misrepresented by the state. A prime example of

this

could be the misinterpretation of an innocent message, which resulted in fines or penalties for the author. In conclusion, the protection of our nation’s safety should be equally prioritised with that of our civil right to privacy. Though a controversial and difficult balance to obtain in legislation, some compromise by each side should result in a fair system for all.