Yeah, and if you don't even have an internet connection, NSA is putting you on their most wanted list. Give me a break. Not doing something can't make you more suspicious.
There is no state of no data. You are known to exist, you are known for not participating in something that is common for your group. That, in combination with the thousands of other data points about you will determine whether you are of interest. That may determine whether your car gets searched during a traffic stop, or whether you're put on a no-fly list.
This is not complicated to build, it is simple to build, and the only logical way of accomplishing what the government claims that they're attempting to accomplish.
I think you're overestimating the NSA's capability to cross-reference your actions and compare them to "what people like me should typically do".
My point is, you should not change your behaviour to be a lesser target to the NSA. You'd just quickly become super paranoid. Instead you should live your live exactly the same, and if the NSA tries to make your live bad, that's the moment when you call them out on it - after all, it's the NSA that is behaving out of line. So they should change, not you.
I think you're overestimating the difficulty of the problem. The difficult part is access to the channels of information. After that, it's a matter of applying well-known algorithms while filtering and processing streams.
The only reason that I suspect that the government is still terrible at this is because they have to rely on government contractors to implement it. If they're intentionally funding startups that happen to be developing tools in the spaces they need, though, it's only a matter of a (short) time until the systems they have are settled and dependable, and they can concentrate on innovation.
>it's the NSA that is behaving out of line. So they should change, not you.
This is also silly. That's like people who walk into speeding traffic because they have the right-of-way. You won't get to hear about how the trial turns out from your grave.
> You won't get to hear about how the trial turns out from your grave.
Well, in contrast to you, I plan to enjoy my life instead of wasting it by worrying about some possible bad actor spying on me, which is what I'm must read is how you spend your life.
Sure, fight the NSA by engaging a little bit politically, and buying the right things. But apart from that, don't worry so much, man.
> I think you're overestimating the NSA's capability to cross-reference your actions
They don't need to do any cross referencing. Your parents, cousins, friends, former colleagues and classmates, etc, will sell you for a "like" in a hearth bit.
> and compare them to "what people like me should typically do".
Ditto. I hate every time people in my acquaintance network email me with "since you cannot be found like everybody else, I'm sending you this thing that you probably don't care about in the first place. After all we are still friends, right?"
That's just stupid.