Hey Everyone,

Currently, I am in an "Intro to Mass Communications" class. Last week, our class discussed privacy, which has been declining since 9/11 (i.e. USA Patriot Act: Anti-terrorism enacted on Oct. 16, 2001 and renewed in 2006).
It's a back and forth issue: are we slowly losing our freedom of privacy, or are these acts protecting us?
Either way, the people have the right to know what the government and other companies are allowed to monitor. Phones can be tapped, e-mails can be stored in databases, what about texting?
I was reading an article from Yahoo! about texting between Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and a top aide being monitored and stored. Their phone provider, SkyTel, refused to comment on whether they monitor or save texts, but Verizon Wireless spokeswoman Erica Sevilla claimed that unless the text was still on the person's phone, it was gone.
So, my question is, who is being honest? Are are texts monitored or not? If they are, who has access to viewing them?
My father says "only people who are guilty of something worry about having their phone conversations and e-mails monitored." However, I disagree. We have the right to know what the government and other companies are allowed and not allowed to monitor. We have the right to know who has access to this information. We also have the right not to agree with this uncertainty.

Sources:
Karoub, J. (2008, January 26). Most text messages are saved only briefly. Retrieved January 27, 2008, from http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080126/ap_on_hi_te/text_messaging_privacy