Should governments be allowed to expand surveillance powers in the name of national security?

Context

Governments worldwide argue that expanded surveillance powers—such as monitoring communications, tracking financial transactions, and accessing encrypted data—are necessary tools to prevent terrorism and serious crime. Civil liberties advocates counter that such powers risk enabling authoritarian overreach, chilling free speech, and eroding privacy without proven security gains. This tension has intensified as technology advances and security threats evolve, forcing democracies to weigh collective safety against individual rights.