Once heralded as the ultimate vehicle for open communication and self-expression, the internet is rapidly becoming a globally networked surveillance device. Serious threats to national security, combined with the seemingly endless capacity of digital processing and storage, have led to levels of data capture and 24/7 monitoring of individuals’ activity that were unimaginable even a decade ago.

With resistance to such practices rising, this course will equip you to take an active part in the debate. You will gain a broad understanding of the competing tensions of the laws related to national security and personal and commercial privacy in the post-Snowden online environment. You will also grasp the looming consequences of this battle for peace, sovereignty, human rights and the internet itself.