Balancing the Privacy v. Surveillance argument: a perspective from the United Kingdom

Abstract

In the aftermath of revelations made by ex-NSA employee Edward Snowden about violation of privacy of individuals by states in the name of surveillance, right to privacy became one of the highly debated rights. There is no doubt that the state must secure privacy of its citizens, but it also has a responsibility towards safety of the citizens. There exist different views related to privacy and surveillance. One view is that the state has no right to look into the private affairs of an individual while the other view is that there is no harm in putting someone suspicious under the surveillance as it is the duty of the State to prevent any untoward act in the society. Considering the contrasting views about privacy and surveillance, this article explores the position existing in the United Kingdom and aims to answer several questions pertaining to the Privacy v. Surveillance debate.