After a week of news about the U.S. government collecting information and records about Americans’ communications, most people in the United States say they do not approve of the domestic surveillance carried out by the National Security Agency (NSA).

About 53% of Americans told Gallup that they disapprove of the NSA spying, while 59% responded negatively to the surveillance, according to another poll by Rasmussen.

A CBS News poll revealed that 58% disapprove of the government “collecting phone records of ordinary Americans.”

Two-thirds of those surveyed on behalf of the British newspaper The Guardian, which broke the stories about NSA leaker Edward Snowden and the agency’s spying, said the NSA’s activities should be reviewed.

Another Guardian survey question revealed that 56% believe Congress has not done enough to keep watch over the NSA.

The Guardian poll also showed that 58% are worried about private contractors handling secret intelligence for the government. Additionally, 59% of both Democrats and Republicans said that the government needs to be more transparent about its data collection activities.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Multiple New Polls Show Americans Reject Wholesale NSA Domestic Spying (by Mark M. Jaycox and Trevor Timm, Common Dreams)

NSA Surveillance: Guardian Poll Finds Majority in US Want Greater Oversight (by Harry J Enten and Ed Pilkington, The Guardian)

59% Oppose Government’s Secret Collecting of Phone Records (Rasmussen Reports)

Americans Disapprove of Government Surveillance Programs (by Frank Newport, Gallup)

Left and Right Sue Obama Administration over Indiscriminate Phone Spying (by Matt Bewig, AllGov)

Majority of Senators Skipped Important Briefing about Classified Surveillance Program (by Matt Bewig, AllGov)

Lawmakers Refute Obama’s Claim that Full Congress Knew about NSA Program (by Noel Brinkerhoff and Danny Biederman, AllGov)