Sir, – Only at US Immigration have I ever had my mug-shot and fingerprints taken, while the online US visa application process has my date of birth, home and IP addresses, phone, email and credit card details.
That’s a lot of personal data to be held by an agency of a foreign government who, we are now told, is warehousing vast quantities of electronic data and communications, collected on a worldwide basis.
Edward Snowden’s revelations about the US Prism project should serve as a warning of the vast ambition of this burgeoning security-technology complex which, if left unchecked, poses a real threat to civil liberties, not just in the US.
There is a balance to be struck between the right of the individual to privacy and the safeguarding of the populace from terrorist activity, but a virtual electronic tagging/spying programme involving much of the world’s population seems to overstep the mark by some considerable distance.
Prism appears to breach international law and should be the subject of the strongest possible protest and, if possible, legal prosecution by Ireland and our EU partners. One way of driving home the message in forceful terms would be to grant Mr Snowden political asylum on an EU-wide basis, if that is possible. – Yours, etc,
PETER MOLLOY,
Haddington Park,
Glenageary,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – What a pity those two warriors for freedom: Edward Snowden and Julian Assange, weren’t around on the days leading up to the Allied invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 1944. Their policy of “Everybody must know everything” would have been most helpful to those defending the beaches, don’t you think? – Yours, etc,
PJ MALONEY,
Cloneyheigue,
Kilbeggan, Co Westmeath.
Sir, – In view of the Snowden revelations, and in particular of the latest antics affecting Tuesday’s flight across Europe by a South American head of state, perhaps there is a need for a European Independence Party? – Yours, etc,
MARTIN McGARRY,
Rue Victor Vanderhoeft,
Brussels, Belgium.
Sir, – What blatant hypocrisy is displayed by European countries, especially France, in relation to Edward Snowdon. To satisfy public outrage at the US attack against their citizens’ right of privacy, European politicians assert publicly it could hinder trade relations with the US. However, in private they are still the lapdogs of US imperial power, displayed by their obedient behaviour in refusing the President of Bolivia Evo Morales’s aircraft the use of much of European airspace on suspicion that the Bolivian plane carried Mr Snowdon.
Goodness only knows what would have happened if Mr Snowdon was actually on board. – Yours, etc,
BRENDAN BUTLER,
The Moorings,
Malahide,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – Since Big Brother was obviously not watching when our bankers/politicians helped Ireland into financial freefall, maybe we should ask Edward Snowden if Uncle Sam was, by any chance, listening. – Yours, etc,
FINNIAN E MATHEWS,
The Park,
Skerries,
Co Dublin.
Sir, – If Edward Snowden was an official of the Iranian intelligence service and disclosed details of that country’s nuclear weapons programme, I have no doubt that western countries, Ireland included, would be falling over themselves offering him asylum. – Yours, etc,
TIM BRACKEN,
Pope’s Quay,
Cork.
A chara, – Mr Snowden, I have a spare room in Kimmage. – Is mise,
BILLY O hANLUAIN,
Cashel Road,
Kimmage,
Dublin 12.