Sample Writing for Task 2

Now it's the time to try the Writing Task 2. Take a look at this example.

Topic:

Technology is increasingly being used to monitor what people are saying and doing (for example, through cellphone and security camera). In many cases, the people being monitored are unaware that this is happening.

Discuss the advantage and the disadvantage of the use of technology as a surveillance device.

Sample Answer:

Technology is currently being applied in a surveillance system for the purpose of watching people’s sayings and actions. This can done by means of phone or camera surveillance, and in most cases, people do not realize that they are being watched. In my opinion, spying people by applying technology has more disadvantages than advantages.

Some people argue that surveillance is necessary for security and stability. Nowadays, CCTV is pervasively used in store. In an urban city such as Jakarta, it’s hard for the people to get along without being supervised, for Jakarta already has 6000 surveillance cameras and nearly all public places got eyes. This is meant for preventing crime and terrorism. However, the misuse of information may lead to severe damage, either to an individual member of society or a nation as a whole.

Consider first of all, the use of taping app on phone. NSA is recently condemned by the people for recording nearly all calls of private US citizen, in and out. It is the same case with Indonesia in which the Commission for Corruption Eradication was sternly criticized for recording the calls of several Parliamentary members. This, in turn, results in a social security because the right privacy is no longer assured by state apparatus, even when it has been mandated by constitution. Camera has the same negative effect. Despite the use of CCTV footage to provide law enforcement with physical evidence of crimes going around the neighborhood, it is also widely used by perverts to spy on their victims. The ethical use of such compromising information is of course not guaranteed, and thus most member of society will avoid places with cameras. Internet seems to get the whole stick when discussing about cyber security. Free source application such as Kali is now pervasively used to create exploit in one’s computer, either to steal data such as multimedia file, credit card, or even national classified information.

In summary, the use of technology for surveillance is really compromising when it’s used in public sphere, and thus has to be strictly regulated by laws. Individuals also have to consider the moral and ethics of technological use, especially when they are dealing with personal and classified information.

-Ross