What the Prism Problem Can Teach Us

Edward Joseph Snowden recently had to leave Hong Kong, where he believes press freedom and human rights are highly respected. The whistleblower's destiny is unknown. It is certain, however, that he has succeeded in revealing the largest surveillance program in human history, spurring debate at home and abroad.

The core question is whether the authorities should possess the power to monitor citizens without their consent in peacetime, and how to balance individual freedoms and state security. This is an unprecedented challenge raised by the expansion of the Internet, and there is no clear answer yet. What we know for sure is that countries all over the world ought to act carefully in dealing with this dilemma.