Perceived threat makes the public accept surveillance over privacy

Evidence

Justification by advantageous historical comparison vindicated the restrictions. The public was reminded that Abraham Lincoln did this during the Civil War, and Franklin D. Roosevelt did so during World War II. When people feel threatened, concern for personal safety outweighs protection of privacy rights and civil liberties. Indeed, the public generally supported antiterorrism laws granting the government broad domestic surveillance powers to access, scan, and profile information on personal activities without public oversight and accountability (Langer, 2005). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2332

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to civil liberties literature and the ‘security vs. privacy’ tradeoff debates post-9/11. — connects to: Surveillance is repackaged in the language of personal freedom to gain acceptance — Nick Couldry & Ulises A. Mejias, The Costs of Connection: How Data Is…, 80; Public majorities consistently favor stronger privacy protections in surveys — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1074; Consumer rejection of surveillance practices has not slowed the market form’s success — Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism, 1076 (+3 more)