A ruling by a Supreme Court judge on Sept. 12 has widened the reaches of the federal government’s powers to obtain and possess information about U.S. citizens and anyone involved with U.S. relations.

A federal judge in September endorsed a decision that certain information can be classified as propaganda, which in turn makes it unavailable even if Freedom of Information Act documents are filed and the information is requested.

The government classifies certain information and usually gives as a reason for doing so as protecting sensitive intelligence methods, but this time the government argued that turning that information over to unclassified sources could result in its use as propaganda against the U.S.

How does this case tie in to other stories in the news about government secrecy?

It took place during the middle of the NSA’s reach and breadth being disclosed and after Edward Snowden began releasing information that showed just how much and what type of information the federal government was collecting. 

Greg Pitts, department chair of communications, said he is glad that citizens at least have a Supreme Court at times like this.

“We are fortunate as a nation to have a supreme court to weigh in on things like this,” Pitts said.  “With the NSA and Snowden issues, it has made us have to suddenly face up to what might have been recorded.”

It is about the ability of a governed people to keep its government in check, Pitts said.

Why are these issues important?

“It is important,” Pitts said. “It is dealing with the availability of information in our lives. It is dealing with the fundamentals of the First Amendment.”

Evan Sandy finds the recent stories of government secrecy be a bit suspicious, he said.

“I’m most curious to know how many dangerous and real terrorist plots have been thwarted as courtesy of the NSA,” Sandy said. “I would like to see a report of the results of government spying, as I said, how much danger that has actually been averted, not that I or anyone else would be too willing to trust the document or the report in the first place.”

So, why does this seem to be happening more often?

In referring to recent allegations of the United States spying on foreign allies such as German Premeir, Angela Merkel, Pitts said that he thinks it reflects on the fact that we live in more complicated times.

 “For the average citizen (and) the journalist, we have had to come to terms with the fact that this level of snooping, of eavesdropping exists,” Pitts said.

Derek McClanahan, a junior, said he is more concerned about the recent revelations of how much information the government is collecting and why they are doing so.

“I don’t think they have a right to do it,” McClanahan said. “It seems invasive and violates our privacy.”

But is there hope?

“I think we can always hold government accountable,” Pitts said. “Hopefully it is journalists that share the information and get it out there, but we have seen that whistleblowers such as Snowden can be important too.”