Tom Eddlem, writer for The New American magazine, explains the constitutional problems with the NSA collecting metadata from e-mails and cellphones. There is also evidence, Eddlem noted, that the NSA may actually be recording content of e-mails and phone calls.
While some citizens are apparently not bothered by the fact that this passive information is being collected, Eddlem explains why people should be concerned. For example, the government could use this information from a law-abiding citizen for purposes of blackmail, embarassment, or stopping political rivals. While the government may use surveillance methods on citizens, Eddlem argues that the Fourth Amendment must be respected in order to prevent the surveillance from going too far.
