[astebbin]

Hypothetical: as the cost of mass storage continues to plunge, why wouldn’t less-scrupulous states gather as much dirt as possible on anyone of even the remotest national interest (through intermediaries, of course), in case it ever becomes valuable?

The cost/benefit equation there seems pretty clear. As a competitor state, his much would YOU pay for the next U.S. President’s private Facebook message history? A million dollars? A hundred million? Trade deals in the billions could be at stake.

[gargravarr]

Hypothetical? This was exposed in 2013. It DOES happen. Indiscriminate dragnet surveillance is the norm. I prefer to assume everything I post online is already being collected, indexed and analysed.