Over the past year and a half, citizens of almost every nation have been exposed to information regarding mass surveillance used by many governments to spy on their citizens. This information, released by Edward Snowden, confirms the long-standing theory that large amounts of data regarding individuals' personal habits and communications were being collected and stored. This revelation has given rise to a serious new debate: How many liberties and civil rights should citizens allow their government to ignore in the name of “security”? Continuing this trend, the UK government recently enacted legislation that presents an alarming breakthrough in the world of government surveillance. This legislation allows the government to create a “pornographic filter” for its citizens' Internet, blocking all sites deemed pornographic by the government (Penny). This filter has sparked a huge debate about the rights of the government to censor its citizens and choose what material/information they want to make available to the public. The government, currently led by David Cameron, claims that this filter serves to protect young people from pornography and preserve the decency of society in the UK (Penny). In reality, this legislation is an affront to the privacy and security of those who browse the site. web. This filter can, and in some cases already has, been extended to block other ideas and information that the incumbent government wants to hide from its public (Killock). After thorough inspection, it is clear that this filter is essentially useless for the government's stated use. In my opinion, this legislation represents a very serious threat both to the privacy of individuals and to free speech and the democratic process. One of… middle of the paper… devours the modern West. Although the United States is more enamored with the concepts of free speech and lack of government interference in our daily lives, it is not difficult to imagine our government passing similar legislation. We have already passed laws like the Patriot Act that significantly limit our freedoms. With the exposed power that the National Security Agency and Central Intelligence Agency wield in Washington, a bill that would benefit the surveillance community by providing information on citizens who wish to access banned content has a chance of being signed into law. One can only hope that the Cameron-led government will be held accountable for its actions in the upcoming UK elections and removed from power. Only then can a more reasonable and pro-democracy government take power and abolish this dangerous legislation.