You know, it's really only an accident of history that human communication historically primarily took place through air vibrations (which are difficult to acqu

You know, it's really only an accident of history that human communication historically primarily took place through air vibrations (which are difficult to acquire, store, and query). Digital communication is a new medium with different principles of interpretation. It is stupidly cheap to algorithmically monitor and query digital comms on a mass scale. Why wouldn't it be done? If you think the NSA is the only institution in the world doing this you're an idiot. The only thing Snowden accomplished was demonstrating how large an undisciplined joke US intel is that a high school graduate with a narcissism complex could accomplish these leaks. Here's an idea: if you don't want your neckbeard anime discussions pinged by the world's intel/ad agencies, don't digitize and broadcast them over the internet.