Surveillance, Privacy and Cyber Law

In the aftermath of growing surveillance across the world, especially in the United States, it seems timely to touch upon the existing legal framework on electronic surveillance, considering the privacy aspects with their relevance to cyber law. Electronic surveillance, like traditional surveillance, has its costs and benefits, with underlying hints of danger in the growing closed network of global society. Surveillance is mainly carried out by government actors but we cannot ignore the existence of private surveillance, which is often conducted in tandem with the other. Security is the key reason behind the ever-growing phenomenon of modern surveillance programmes introduced by governments. More good than harm might result from electronic surveillance, but the fact that it impinges on the privacy of individuals and the right to free speech and assemble peacefully is a harm that has to be considered by the developing legal doctrine of cyber law