Watch live: Debating national security and government surveillance

A debate at George Washington University looks at the premise of whether the US government should ever engage in bulk collection for national security purposes.

Should the government ever engage in bulk data collection for national security purposes?

Leading thinkers from the American Civil Liberties Union, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, George Washington University and Secure Methods will put that premise to the test at a debate on Wednesday, March 25 from 12-2 p.m. in Washington, D.C., hosted by George Washington University's Cyber Security Policy and Research Institute in partnership with Passcode, a new section from The Christian Science Monitor focusing on digital security and privacy. 

Follow along on Twitter at the hashtag #surveillancedebate.

Format:

• Using the Intelligence Squared method, the winner of the debate will be determined by calculating which side of the debate changed the most minds among audience members based on surveys at the beginning and end of the debate.

• "Pro" side speakers:
  • Lee Tien, Senior Staff Attorney and Adams Chair for Internet Rights of the Electronic Frontier Foundation
  • Chris Soghoian, Principal Technologist and a Senior Policy Analyst of the ACLU (@csoghoian on Twitter)
     
• "Con" side speakers:
  • Professor Orin Kerr, GW Law (@OrinKerr)
  • Paul Clark, President and CTO of Secure Methods LLC (@SecureMethods)

Event Details:

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Jack Morton Auditorium, School of Media and Public Affairs, 805 21st St NW Washington, DC

You can follow Passcode on Twitter at @CSMPasscode.  You can also find George Washington University's Cyber Security and Policy Research Institute on Twitter at @gwcspri.