Poll: Americans disapprove of government surveillance programs

More Americans disapprove (53%) than approve (37%) of the federal government agency program that as part of its efforts to investigate terrorism obtained records from U.S. telephone and Internet companies to “compile telephone call logs and Internet communications.” …

There are significant partisan differences in views of the government’s program to obtain call logs and Internet communication. Democrats are more likely to approve, by 49% to 40%. Independents (34% vs. 56%) and Republicans (32% to 63%) are much more likely to disapprove than approve. …

A separate question included in Gallup’s survey found that 35% of Americans said they would be “very concerned” about violation of their own privacy rights if the government had computerized logs of their telephone calls or Internet communications. Another 22% said they would be “somewhat concerned.”