Author Dave Eggers has taken a strong stand against NSA spying and is encouraging writers not to be bullied by this survellience.
In an opinion piece published in The Guardian, Eggers points to a PEN America study, which found that the majority of writers in the U.S. are concerned about NSA spying and that 16 percent have even avoided writing or speaking about a particular topic due to concerns about the NSA.
Here is an excerpt from Eggers’ piece:
Think back to all the messages you have ever sent. All the phone calls and searches you’ve made. Could any of them be misinterpreted? Could any of them be used to damage you by someone like the next McCarthy, the next Nixon, the next Ashcroft? This is the most pernicious and soul-shattering aspect of where we are right now. No one knows for sure what is being collected, recorded, analysed and stored – or how all this will be used in the future.