After the invention of surveillance in Germany in the 1940s, it eventually led to more advanced surveillance opportunities in the United States. In 1968, the government began installing surveillance cameras along major streets throughout New York to help control crime problems. By having this footage, the government could hunt down these criminals based on the quality of the video, have evidence of the crimes, and keep these individuals off the streets to help reduce crime. The government's success began to spread among business owners who convinced business owners in the area to start purchasing surveillance cameras to prevent crimes from occurring in their businesses. Today, technology is advancing around the world, and with that said, the government has expanded its monitoring from closed-circuit television footage to observing citizens online on social media sites. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Citizens wonder how far the government goes with the use of closed-circuit television surveillance. CCTV surveillance, including cameras placed in vibrant locations across the country, eventually led to the company's social media being monitored as well. Do they use it to effectively catch criminals in the act? Or do they also target potentially innocent civilians? The Fourth Amendment was enacted to protect the freedom and rights of citizens, but the government is somehow trying to find loopholes within it. These laws protect us from known tracking, but there are others that we cannot question until they are disclosed. Surveillance is said to be used for criminal reasons, but citizens believe it is taking away our rights to privacy. The doubt of effectiveness and the violation of human rights have meant that over the years the relationship between citizens and government has changed. Today's world is starting to track individuals of specific religions and ethnicities because of the ambiguity of it all. Citizens have reached the point where they do not argue with the amount of security that is offered to them on a daily basis, but rather accept it so that they can continue with their safe lives. The government can track citizens' online accounts and information 24/7 as most people have started communicating in the online world. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, the level of security changed dramatically to help prevent future terrorist attacks in the United States. New laws have been enacted across the country, including security checkpoints at airports, schools, etc. Electronic devices to detect weapons or dangerous individuals check fingerprints, cell phones and body scans to make sure no one can carry malicious acts into busy areas. The Patriot Act was established after 9/11 to help monitor Americans through their daily actions and online activities. This helped to prevent any future attacks and to understand if any citizens were communicating with other countries. Since most Americans communicate these days via email, social networks, and messaging, it is much easier for the government to track citizens' searches. According to the American Bar Association, under the ECPA (Electronics Communications Private Act), written in 1986, you must demonstrate probable cause based on individual suspicion and obtain a warrant from a court..