Esau, L. A. (2017). The Correlation Between Wiretapping and Terrorism.

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Esau, L. A. (2017). THE CORRELATION BETWEEN WIRETAPPING AND TERRORISM: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF AMERICAN AND EUROPEAN SOCIETAL VIEWS ON GOVERNMENT SURVEILLANCE. ILSA Journal Of International & Comparative Law, 23(1), 55-76. https://proxy.library.brocku.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=124675975&site=ehost-live&scope=site


The article “The Correlation Between Wiretapping and Terrorism” by Esau argues that online surveillance carried out by governments around the world violate human’s right to privacy and cannot be justified in the name of security. Esau for the majority of the article argues this point meticulously. She does so with strong organization of his argument, his use of statistics and quotes, and how he addresses and compares government surveillance within the US, Russia, Italy, and France.


As one reads the article, the flow of the argument is easy to digest. This can be attributed to Esau’s logical ordering of her argument and how each section smoothly introduced the next. Firstly, Esau’s first segment presenting the history of US policy and actions concerning wiretapping provides the reader with a thorough understanding of the development of wiretapping within the US. By giving her readers the knowledge of US governments’ history of pushing the boundaries of privacy laws and creating policies which invade the privacy of citizens both foreign and domestic, they are better informed when Esau makes is argument against modern day surveillance carried out by governments. This is evident when Esau compares US’s wiretapping to that of Russia, Italy, and France. Furthermore, the sequence and flow of Esau’s arguments made it much more agreeable, this can be seen through how she first informs the reader with a background on wiretapping, proceeds to compare the wiretapping practices and culture in the US, Russia, Italy, and France, and concludes with a comparison of opinions on wiretapping from the citizens of the four nations. Esau’s smooth transitions between sections delivers her argument effectively and allows the reader to appreciate her viewpoint.


There are very few things that one will find wrong when critiquing “The Correlation Between Wiretapping and Terrorism”. However, early in the article, Esau make the claim that “Terrorism has increased, and has continued to do so over the last fifteen years. Patterns have shown, that when tragedies occur, more domestic and international surveillance occurs.” she does so without a reference to back up this claim. Furthermore, with reports that crime domestically and around the world continue to drop, it beckons the question, why not use that narrative to add to her argument. In addition, why make the claim which supports the opposite of what Esau is arguing for? Perhaps Esau simply wanted to present both sides of the argument before demonstrating that terrorism does not justify wiretapping. However, this was a poor decision on Easau’s part.


Esau’s use of statistics and studies thoroughly backs up her argument. Numerous times throughout the article, Esau uses statistics to demonstrate trends which all ultimately point to the fact that surveillance has increased. This can be seen when she displays how the Russian FOB nearly doubled their number of intercepted email and telephone communications between 2007 and 2011. This use of statistics was used in Italy’s surveillance overview, to give the reader an idea of how widespread wiretapping was in the nation. It too is used to portray to the same conclusion that governments are infringing on their citizens privacy. Furthermore, Esau was smart to use different studies on the public opinion on wiretapping in different countries. This portrayed how different cultures feel about their government using wiretapping in the name of security. It was particularly insightful when Esau compared two studies, one which was taken after 9/11 and another which was taken after Edward Snowden’s revelations on NSA wiretapping. These results fueled Esau’s argument of how the governments use terrorist attacks to excuse policies which permit wiretapping. In addition, the quotes Esau chose to include in her paper were peculiar as some supported her argument while others did not. This can be best exemplified through her use of the proverb “safety may come with a price.” However, I believe she uses this saying to her advantage through disproving its claim. Lastly, concluding her article with Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, “[t]hose who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety” leaves an lasting impression on the reader and beckons them to find the quote applicable in today’s online society.


Kevin Pendergast

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