Big data is such an incredible tool for crime prevention. Minority Report is not a dystopian vision: it's a blueprint for a more just society.
If every "private" email, video conference and search is available for inspection and cross reference, we can end anti-social behaviour as we know it and achieve the kind of peace and harmony that only come from full accountability.
Crime thrives in dark corners. A surveillance society is a searing searchlight to expose and eradicate the the rot.
The question is: what comes next? If you bought a pressure cooker on Amazon a month before the Boston bombing, do police get to know about it?"
Absolutely. That is valuable information for an investigate. That doesn't mean everyone who bought a pressure cooked should be locked up, but that information can be used in conjunction with other information to narrow down a list of suspects. Legitimate buyers have nothing to fear and terrorists get caught.