In theory, having every bit of data would be useful. In practice (a decade or more of NSA collecting phone records), this doesn't seem to be the case. Multiple

In theory, having every bit of data would be useful. In practice (a decade or more of NSA collecting phone records), this doesn't seem to be the case. Multiple terrorist events have happened, but apparently NSA was not able to use all that data to detect or prevent them. Where the data has been most useful has been in persecuting journalists and political rivals and whistle blowers and circumventing due process in courts. I'd bet on NSA destroying our democracy long before a terrorist could.