I think Stalin gained influence in part by "having the goods" on a lot of people, but I don't have a citation on that. This didn't happen in a democracy to begi

I think Stalin gained influence in part by "having the goods" on a lot of people, but I don't have a citation on that. This didn't happen in a democracy to begin with, however, there was much more open discussion and dissent within the ruling party before Stalin than after. (I don't have a firm opinion on what modern surveillance will do politically over time, just answering your specific question.)