INTERNET HACKERS HAVE BROKEN INTO "SECURE" INFORMATION MANY TIMES BEFORE.

There are already many precedent situations in which hackers have been able to break into "secure" databases of customer information. Even more disconcerting is the fact that phone companies have a long track record of selling their customers' information to the highest bidder.

Supporters of the tracking systems claim that they are protected by secure passwords and much of the information is not stored long-term. However, already there are many programs written and hidden online that intercept messages en route and are able to break even the most secure of passwords.

So, how truly safe are these tracking and phone surveillance programs? How long will it be before merchants are able to coerce phone companies into allowing them to tap into these tracking networks? Americans should be aware of who they are trusting with the security of their personal information.

HOW LONG WILL IT BE BEFORE RETAILERS USE SURVEILLANCE TO TRACK DOWN CUSTOMERS?

It is mandated by law that the security of their customers is not the primary concern of a corporation. In the case of any corporation, they are legally obligated to place the profit towards their shareholders above all else. So how long until a retailer offers the phone corporations a large enough check to override their customer's trust?

American citizens need to think long and hard about the features added to their phones, especially those added without their permission. Beyond the risks of phone surveillance information being sold to the highest bidder or stolen by hackers, there is the additional risk to their personal right to privacy.

Many things today have begun to give American citizens good cause to fear the onset of socialism, fascism, or a police state. Already American troops are deployed within American borders, police are issued new sonic and millimeter weaponry to use against crowds, and cameras watch every movement on the streets.

The only item left is a system that allows federal authorities to know exactly where each and every specific individual in the country is located. Add to this the fact that both cellular phones and household phones can be used as listening devices even when turned off, and you understand why phone surveillance is a truly terrifying situation.

American citizens must begin to look at the pieces that are being positioned around them. They must begin to take responsibility for protecting their own freedoms before they are lost entirely. Convenience and the illusion of protection from phone surveillance capabilities are unacceptable excuses for surrendering the most precious and costly heirlooms Americans enjoy.