In this sense, internet privacy represents a challenge indeed. Internet privacy is a relatively new term and the definitions are therefore rather scarce or general. For instance, it can be defined as "the ability of individuals to determine for themselves when, how, and to what extent information about them is communicated to others." (Givens, 1999) in this sense, privacy is a matter of personal choice and is therefore subject to prior agreement from the individual. However, considering the fact that the internet is a global network in which high technology plays the most important role and without which none of the benefits of communication would be possible, it is rather hard to control the degree to which one's privacy is violated.

One of the most important players in the debate over internet privacy is the federal government. The terrorist threat represented a powerful alarm signal for the defense system, with everything it encompasses, and redefined the strategy of surveillance as a means of obtaining information. In this sense, every person can be placed under analysis and its privacy can be, in different circumstances, violated. The debate thus focus on the definition of these circumstances and the degree to which the government can exercise its authority in terms of acquiring confidential information, storing them, and eventually using them in different situations.

There are those that consider a legislative limitation as being a proper means for dealing with the eventuality of abuses in this case. For instance, when undergoing online transactions, specific private information is being gathered by the respective website, information that can be used in other purposes than intended. In order to prevent such abuses, the Congress focuses on passing laws that would limit their use. (Jones and McCarthy, 2001) This would be a solution for protecting the personal nature of information from potential private abuses.

There is still another point to consider: the possible abuses of private information by the Government itself. In this sense, there have been arguments according to which the government is constantly controlling the activities of most individuals on the internet, including private emails...

This is done in the name of the general principle of the Patriot Act. (Slater, 2007) However it comes in contradiction with the fundamental right to a private life enshrined in the Constitution. Therefore, there is either the choice of respecting the privacy of every internet user and taking the chance to fail to detect possible dangerous plots threatening the national security, or admitting the breach of this fundamental right of the citizen in the hope that any possible threat to the integrity of the society can be averted and prevented.
Taking all these aspects into consideration, it is rather difficult to advocate whole heartedly one or another point-of-view. On the one hand there is the matter of respecting the integrity and privacy of one's personal information, but, on the other hand, the threats that face today's society indirectly demand for a closer surveillance of the activities taking place in the society. From a personal point-of-view, I consider the government's involvement to be absolutely necessary for insuring the security of our nation and for preventing the events similar to those from 2001 to happen again. Still, a strong legislative initiative that would somewhat insure the limitation of abuses is essential for the creation of a proper legal framework in which the Government to act.

Works Cited

Givens, Beth. The Emperor's New Clothes: Privacy on the Internet in 1999. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. 1999. 15 June 2007 http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/emperor.htm

Jones, Jennifer, and McCarthy, Jack. Government ponders Internet privacy issues. Infoworld. 2007. 15 June 2007 http://www.infoworld.com/articles/hn/xml/00/02/21/000221hnprivacy.html

Macura, Katarzyna J. "Communicating on the Internet." Radiological Society of North America. 2007. 15 June 2007 http://www.rsna.org/Technology/internet3-1.cfm

Public Records on the Internet: The Privacy Dilemma. Privacy Rights Clearinghouse. 2006.

15 June 2007 http://www.privacyrights.org/ar/onlinepubrecs.htm

Slater, Derek. FBI's abuse of Patriot Act even worse than we thought. Electronic Frontier Foundation. 2007. 15 June 2007 http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/005314.php