[smsm42]

There are also people that using information coming through "fusion counterterrorism centers" to initiate civil forfeiture cases - having nothing to do with terrorism, but enjoying very little protection for the victim once the word "terrorism" is said.

If NSA total surveillance is used in this manner - imagine the possibilities. You take a large sum of cash out of your bank account - or mention to a friend you're going to do a large purchase this weekend. The surveillance dragnet alerts the local authorities, they stop you for traffic violations, take the cash and the car and any valuable property that is on you and now you face the prospect of very costly and unsure legal battle to get it back - since forfeiture cases have no presumption of innocence and no requirement of criminal conviction, and to invoke terror clauses you only need terror-related investigation going on - and as NSA has recently explained us, literally everything is relevant for terror investigations and thus can be considered "related".

If you think I'm exaggerating, read this: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2013/08/12/130812fa_fact_... This is already happening, albeit small scale. Anti-terror information centers are already being used for it. But total surveillance makes this kind of abuse much easier to perpetrate on a scale.

As for those being "the few" - if they are so small group, why the "good guys" don't stop them? It looks like many of those maybe wouldn't do it themselves, but they have very little against it being done right next to them and against benefitting from it.

[msg]

You could troll them too, though. Tell a friend that you are taking out a large sum of money to pay for something. Travel using a rental car or by bus. Carry cards that say "don't spy on me" and hand them to the police officers when they come for you. Sue police for harassment. After all, they can't arrest you for saying what you want in private...

I think trolling is going to become an important part of our ecosystem before long, especially when it comes to fuzzing data miners and frustrating their data collection activities. Enough trolling and the system will be too expensive to follow up on.

[GregorStocks]

Trolling guys with guns and a monopoly on violence seems like a bad idea to me.

[ansgri]

You're no better then Russia then, just think of it. Only you don't enjoy the general public' understanding that the government is your enemy and friends must be protected from it.

[rbritton]

While I like the principle... Expensive for who? The government hasn't ever really shown much concern for how much things cost.