The Ethics of Surveillance

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2015/05/07/404898259/federal-court-bulk-collection-of-phone-metadata-is-illegal

This past Thursday, a federal appeals court ruled that the National Security Agency's (NSA) level of surveillance was excessive and illegal.

I think this issue,  puts in view an interesting perspective on utilitarianism.  While I generally do not consider myself in agreement with utilitarianism, in this case occasionally do.  Generally, I do not care if the government spies on me, or "invades" my privacy.  I take the view that my understanding of privacy and rights is largely colored by this present society and culture we live in, not by any inherent rights of a human being.  Some cultures have far more, and far less privacy, and that's ok.

However, I do not necessarily take the view that the high state of surveillance is a good thing either.  It could be said that by making a few people very UNHAPPY by surveillance, you are protecting the greater good.  I just don't see it.  My position is less that I am ok with surveillance because I think it is helping the greater number of people, but more because I just don't mind it.  I understand the implications of it going bad, but I am not interested in investing my time or energy to avoid it.

If I move deeper in, beyond my (apparent) lazy response, I find any ruling that protects the declared rights of U.S. citizens to be a good move.  Again, I do not think these rights are critically important to a human being, but when we have a law (the Constitution) I believe we should uphold it, or change it outright, not simply roll over it and ignore it.