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This is not comparable at all. Nuclear arsenals cannot be dismantled because of the benefits of MAD and the other guy might be considered in a position of force.

In our case, PRISM can be dismantled without the other guy (i.e the population) retaliating in any way or any enemy country gaining any advantage out of that.

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It won't happen. Data today holds the same value as nukes during the cold war. A whole lot of intellectual and emotional evolution has to occur, across entire populations, before dismantling either becomes feasible.

I have a feeling this incident is going to start a big data arms race, mostly because, many governments in other country are going to start investing in their own NSA's.

The only thing that can control it, is the economics involved.

It won't happen. Data today holds the same value as nukes during the cold war

That is so true. Remember that last DPRK scare? "North Korea builds server farm" they screamed. Seems that any time the DPRK needs some attention, they just announce a test of their number-crunching machines.

Lacking much imagination. DPRK don't need a server farm just a pen drive from St. Petersburg.

And yet the news never says "DPRK buy pen drive" but only "DPRK closer to nuclear weapons with global reach".

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