We live in a police state. We have the highest incarceration rate of any country. Many of the people in prison are political prisoners. Our national security apparatus is powerful and unaccountable. Congress just reauthorized 702 which allows warrantless surveillance. Police and security apparatus is constantly looking for more ways to watch and incriminate anybody who resists their power.
Some fraction of people are authoritarian by nature. Most cops have no interest. But the fraction that do, will use any tool they can to find a crime.
Given the amount of deference courts give to cops, that they are allowed to lie without consequence, you don’t need/want to give them any more tools.
People are needlessly paranoid because there will be a few incidents that get a lot of media attention and mindshare, despite being a vast minority of the time.