25 years of mass surveillance is enough (schneier.com)

Article summary

The article discusses the 25-year legacy of mass surveillance in the US, which began as a response to the 9/11 attacks and has since expanded to become a routine tool used by law enforcement and private companies. The authors argue that this shift has had profound implications for Americans' rights and freedoms, particularly with regards to the Fourth Amendment. The article also highlights the interrelation between private and governmental mass surveillance, with companies collecting data for surveillance capitalism purposes and governments obtaining this information through private companies. This has led to a pipeline of information from private collection to governmental collection, with increasing use of AI technologies and potential for abuse.

Main themes

• mass surveillance
• Fourth Amendment rights
• private-public surveillance pipeline
• AI and data analysis
• tribalism and manipulation
• elitism and conspiracy
• individual freedom and autonomy
• trans rights and bigotry

What commenters say

• Some commenters propose building and distributing easy-to-use services to protect individual rights and freedoms, such as self-hosted alternatives to current technologies.
• There is disagreement about the existence and extent of a conspiracy among the elite to manipulate and control society, with some arguing it is a classic example of emergent behavior and others claiming it is a deliberate effort.
• The use of mass surveillance and targeting of certain groups, such as trans individuals, is seen as a form of tribalism and manipulation by politicians to gain power.
• Others argue that the focus on niche issues like trans girls in sports is a distraction from real problems and a form of bigotry.
• Some commenters believe that the ultra-wealthy are entrapped by their own interests and machines of wealth, and that this limits their ability to effect change.
• There is a concern that the longer mass surveillance and manipulation continue, the more likely it is that any revolution or change will happen chaotically, rather than through peaceful and organized means.
• The idea that billionaires work together to control society is seen as unlikely by some, who argue that it would be difficult to get a large group of people with competing interests to cooperate.
• The use of mass surveillance and data collection is seen as a threat to individual freedom and autonomy, and some argue that it is a form of totalitarian control.