[hadronzoo]

Except that the government has a monopoly on force. If a private company harms you, there are often civil and potentially criminal concequences. If the government uses your private data against you and violates your rights, who do you turn to?

[king_jester]

> If a private company harms you, there are often civil and potentially criminal concequences.

It is really difficult to sue a company that has a team of lawyers while you are a individual just trying to get by, esp. if said private company did something that really disrupts your life, like wrongly foreclosing on your home or wrongly firing you.

[DanBC]

1) It's unequivocally bad if the government spies on its citizens.

2) Some people manage to obtain justice when they are wronged. Often it's just not that easy.