The security-liberty balance: Individuals' attitudes towards internet government surveillance

In the Security-Liberty balance, individuals would weigh the benefits of government surveillance against what the cost would be to our civil liberties. Drawing on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT), this study empirically operationalises and tests citizens' attitudes towards internet government surveillance and discusses predictors of these attitudes that help elicit the notion of Security-Liberty balance through a survey study. We propose that individuals' internet self-efficacy and social awareness affect perceived need for government surveillance and government intrusion concerns. The study presents empirically tested relationships which are important for informing the debate and developing well-balanced policies of security protection and civil liberties.