25 years of mass surveillance is enough

	25 years of mass surveillance is enough(schneier.com)
	861 points by iamnothere 23 hours ago \| 317 comments
	tl;dr: Since 9/11, the US has shifted from targeted to mass surveillance, with intelligence agencies, law enforcement, ICE, and private companies (Flock, Google, data brokers) now routinely collecting bulk data on Americans with minimal Fourth Amendment protection. Schneier and Cohn argue this system has demonstrable costs—chilling effects on speech, documented abuse ("LOVEINT," tracking abortion-seekers and protesters), and inevitable mistakes—with unproven benefits, and is increasingly being weaponized by the Trump administration against dissent. They call for comprehensive reform: warrant requirements for mass-collected data, letting Section 702 stay expired, passing the Fourth Amendment Is Not for Sale Act, and a broader US privacy law.
	HN Discussion: ↑Philosophical agreement that surveillance and control cause societal harm ↑Government's desire for surveillance is inherent and driven by hubris ↑Proposes concrete solutions like self-hosted services or limiting camera access to local jurisdictions ~Fatalistic view that the surveillance battle is already lost and cannot be reversed ↑Situation will worsen due to new policies, AI, and elimination of cash/anonymity