Is this true?

Question

That there is no such thing as privacy? Me and my friends had a talk last night (becuz we were unforgivably bored) and we got on the subject of the government. My friend told me that there was no such thing as privacy becuz the government is able to watch anyone and listen in on phone calls and all kinds of stuff like that. Is this true?

Answer 1

It's closer to truth than you might want to believe.
The Bush administration has instituted the Department of Homeland Security which - once the 'terrorist threats' are low-keyed - will become the federal government's state agency charged with protecting the new police state (not protecting its people).
I'll assume you and your friends are young. So I would strongly urge you all to stop being unforgivably bored and begin taking an active interest in what's going on in the United States of America.
This nation is being turned into a police state where citizens are presumed guilty until proven innocent. Your rights are being diminished virtually day by day.
In 2005, George W. Bush formed a secret alliance (without the approval of Congress or the American public) with Mexico and Canada to create the NORTH AMERICAN UNION. You haven't heard about it on the news because the media is "in on it". But the North American Union paves the way for the U.S., Canada and Mexico to become ONE nation with ONE currency: the Americo.
That, in turn, paves the way for the North American Union to join the European Union, the African Union, and the upcoming Asian Union in becoming ONE WORLD GOVERNMENT.
It is very possible that your grandchildren could be born and - by law - have a chip implanted in their forehead which would control their every movement. If they say or do anything contrary to the world government, their chip would be deactivated. THIS IS NOT SCIENCE FICTION - it's part of a 60-year plan that is just now beginning to become a reality.
Government's ability to listen in on your phone calls is the least of your worries. George Orwell's book, "Big Brother" is fast becoming real. Be afraid....be very afraid.
And, stop being unforgivable bored and get involved now in trying to prevent this from happening. It's your world. Old guys like me won't be around to see the completion of this sinister plan. You, your children and your grandchildren will be the ones affected unless you and your friends take action now! -RKO- 08/03/07

Answer 2

Yes... It is true. Certain words stated on phone lines are picked up & listened too. It is called the Patriot Act. I am voting for Ron Paul... He is a congressman that voted against the Patriot Act. He believes that the government should not invade the people's privacy! Here... Do some research yourself...

http://www.ronpaulaudio.com

Answer 3

Yes I am very sorry to say that your friend is correct. Ever since 911 the Government now has the right to listen in on anyones phone calls. You can't even go into a building anymore without a camara pointing at you. Even just downtown in a bigger city has camaras. Everytime you send an E-mail it to is being watched. How do you think they catch preditors online? Sorry to say but, yes my dear, there is very little privacy any more.

Answer 4

Yes and no. The government does listen in on phone calls, but its not like there are hundreds of people sitting around with headphones on. Machines do record and listen to calls, but the records are really only kept for certain targets, obviously terrorist stuff or something like that. The government really doesn't care 'what Ellen said about Kathy' or 'how big Phillip's penis is'. But red flags are usually things like 'bomb', 'Osama', and most arabic sounding words. Unless you're planning to hijack, blow-up, or assassinate someone or something, you and your BF really have nothing to worry about.

Answer 5

The government has the technology and resources to listen in on any and everything, however the law states that they arent allowed to except under certain circumstances......and the fact that they dont really care what youre talking about unless youre a suspected criminal/terrorist can be sort of a buffer...

Answer 6

YES, it's very true! ... Whatever you think is private really isn't and whatever you display online, in shopping centers with credit cards, driver's license bureaus, the internal revenue service and more ... All of them are watching everything that we do and they are serious about monitering your homes, finances, and just about anything else that you could ever say on a live LAN line with someone else. The government stinks and most of the time they are superficial regarding how they dictate their rules, laws and policies but yet they want us to honor nearly every damn thing that they do. It's ridiculous ... And YES YES YES ... It's defintely true!

Good luck, Much Love, Peace & Happiness

Answer 7

Technically, the phone and internet companies and the government could easily access your communications. There are some laws restricting their ability to do this without a warrant, but right now they are being tested in court.

Answer 8

Can you imagine the logistics of listening in on over 300 million Americans?! The only time they listen in on you is if you break the law. Don't break the law, be a good citizen, and I guarantee you the Government won't want waste their time listening in on you.

Answer 9

Increasingly - yes.

The so called "Patriot Act" hurt privacy advocates a lot. It's been documented to have been abused many times already in it's short 5 year or so lifespan.

Answer 10

yes they can. they can activate the microphone in your cell phone. the government is becoming paranoid about everything. you can prevent them from listening to you by taking the battery out of the phone.