[AtlasBarfed]

The basic rule of thumb is, if a company knows something about you, then the government does too.

Which means they know everything you have posted, everywhere you've gone, everywhere you've worked, what you think politically, and almost certainly have AI profilers trying to "precog" you.

To say nothing of camera surveillance, gait analysis, facial recognition, license plate tracking, cell phone signal interceptors.

All it takes is for one authoritarian to walk in and turn the key and POOF we have perfect.

Are we in danger of that? Oh right, no politics on HN. Don't worry, be happy folks.

[potato3732842]

A one-off or series of authoritarians should be the least of your concern. They tend to be controversial and have great difficulty amassing the political will to get their things truly done and set in stone. A constantly popular government should be what keeps you awake at night. Because people who are otherwise capable of "hold a job, support myself" levels of intelligent thought will tie themselves into knots to support otherwise unjustified screwing at the hands of a government they support.

[zitsarethecure]

Or an authoritarian propped up by popular and powerful monopolistic corporations to which otherwise capable people depend on for their jobs.

[potato3732842]

Isn't that basically what every modern government is regardless of dictatorship vs democracy?

Priority #1 seems to be defending state moneymaking interests and state adjacent/intertwined BigCos

Priority #2 seems to be expanding their own power

Priority #3 seems to be micromanaging in social issues at the behest of various special interests to distract from #1 and #2

Keeping us all from keeling over from heavy metal poisoning or whatever is way, way, way down the list unless it bleeds up to #3 for whatever reason.