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Monitor unrest, sure, probably a fair bit. The rest of it is likely the "ability to just pull up data on anyone at any time just cause". The old school, "we k
by softfalcon 5y ago
Monitor unrest, sure, probably a fair bit.
The rest of it is likely the "ability to just pull up data on anyone at any time just cause".
The old school, "we know where you live, what you said to your husband, and that you had marmalade jam with your toast this morning" spy insider knowledge gambit is a strong manipulation tactic whenever you need to convince someone to "just comply".
Having inside knowledge of mundane things that are assumed to be private hold a lot more sway than you'd think. It can make threatening ordinary people a lot easier. Do governments do this often? Probably not, but when they want to interrogate someone, I can almost guarantee they like to be able to pull up everything private they can as leverage in an interrogation.
Is this useful for national security? Probably not, but since when do governments actually care about national security when they can roll around on a power trip and feel big and godly?
- ghostpepper 5y agoI would hazard a guess that almost every citizen has committed a crime of some sort at some point, no matter how minor or inadvertent. There are simply too many laws to avoid it.
- jacquesm 5y agoI'd be highly surprised if it was just one. I would imagine its tens if not 100's over the course of a lifetime.
- randomNumber7 5y agoKilling a wasp in germany can cost between 5.000-65.000€^^. Source (german): https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/news/wespe-toeten-droht-ein-bussgeld-oder-ist-das-erlaubt-645445/ https://www.bussgeldkatalog.org/news/wespe-toeten-droht-ein-...
- seanw444 5y agoThe notion that privacy isn't a big deal, simply because you're unlikely to be the target of some massive covert campaign, is pretty ridiculous. That's how rights end. Give an inch, lose a mile. And lose the mile when it matters most. And who knows, maybe you would become a political figure or something of that caliber down the road. You just never know. Don't assume you don't need as much privacy as possible. By you, I'm speaking in general.
- jacquesm 5y agoThat's just another form of the 'I've got nothing to hide' argument. Typically made by people that haven't really thought the matter through.