| > Essentially, unless and until the government decides to use this information that they may (or may not) have to blackmail/arrest/detain/publicly humiliate me, it doesn't impact my life in a noticeable way I think that's the crux of it for many people (myself included). I don't support what the Patriot Act has become, though I do believe in what it "should be". In a perfect world, I really could care less if the government stored all of my data and everything about me. If it could only be used to prove/prosecute my status as a bad actor/terrorist. Unfortunately, I don't believe the government can be trusted to limit scope in that way. Possibly more relevant, I don't believe all people who work for the government (and could/would/should have access to said information) will always act with my best interest in mind either. Ethics don't come easy to all people. Also, it's always possible for my information, which I may otherwise choose to keep private, to be lost/stolen/hacked from wherever it resides. I would prefer that door not exist, rather than the keys being held by someone else who may or may not be trustworthy. It _feels_ like a slippery slope to me. One that seemingly should never exist, based on constitutional rights, etc. (Note: not trying to flame or troll anything mentioned here, just to discuss serious thoughts). *EDIT: typo/spelling |