Balancing between national security and individual privacy is seemingly a daunting task that does not promise an amicable solution in the near future. There are so many controversies surrounding this issue where people with opposing opinions are striving to ensure that their views dominate. The question about which between the two should be prioritized is not relevant compared to the effects either of the alternatives will have in the lives of citizens. The issue is complicated further by the sensitive nature of both national security and individual privacy. There is a close association between the two, thus making it hard for policy makers to alter either of them without touching the other. However, it is a fact that as much as many people want to have full right to individual privacy, they will also be keen to ensure that their security is guaranteed. In other words, the two must be provided without necessarily causing collusion between the two. National security is prioritized compared to individual privacy given the fact that people universally value national security.

Legal status of the Individual Privacy vs. National Security issue

Controversies surrounding national security and individual privacy came at the limelight after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. However, this issue has been in existence for a longer time although it has had minimal effect on individual privacy. This paper will focus on recent events since little was heard in the past about the issue. The terrorist attack in 2001 is responsible for the heated debate of whether individual privacy should be given up for national security. The politics that followed the attacks prompted the legislatures to pass the United States of America Patriot Act (The Data Base Book, 2010). This was purposely done to give security agents a legal ground to search for and