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Every company that collaborates with the NSA (including Microsoft, Google, Facebook, Apple, and Dropbox) has in house spies. We don't like to think about it this way because the spies are on "our side".

Why would Google change because of the Snowden Leaks? They knew about it. They were handing over data to the NSA.

In democratic countries the politicians care about how the expenditure looks to the public. People think that 5 billion dollars in welfare is a lot of money, so it's hard to spend more welfare. People do not think that 5 trillion dollars on "defense" is a lot of money, so it's easy to spend more money on defense even though it has at best dubious return on investment.

You can protect against these attacks and maintain your privacy by doing the following:

1. After you take a picture, open that image on your computer and take a screenshot of that image and crop as needed. This removes all camera metadata.

2. Use a program for PGP encryption. Type out your message on Notepad or whatever, encrypt it locally, then paste the encrypted message into the website's message box.

3. Use a randomly generated username and password. Generate a different username and password for each site.

Don't break the law, kids!

The state is not a business and does not have to make decisions based on the cost/benefit analysis from a monetary or tax collecting perspective. In the US for example, LSD and psilocybin are illegal even though there is zero chance for chemical addiction or dependence. In Canada and the US you can get a prescription for Klonopin, which sounds roughly as addictive as cocaine. People have gone to rehab for Klonopin addiction--for a prescription anti-anxiolytic!

it actually exists to guarantee service of court documents and government records. Without it the courts and government couldn't function properly. it's so vital that the USPS has their own police force that punishes mail crime. Once I got a piece of mail about a postal worker who stole a $20 gift card in route to me. She got sentenced to several years in jail. I'd sooner screw with the IRS than the postal service.

Companies make rules to bog down any proposal or idea that doesn't benefit the executives.

You might be interested in reading this:

https://www.ribbonfarm.com/2011/10/14/the-gervais-principle-...

How did they instill fear?

I don't think anyone implied that Facebook et al. tried in earnest to sway the election. Facebook execs endorsed candidates and donated money to campaigns or PACs but that's the routine for any company that has a stake in politics. If Facebook wanted to, they could invisibly change the content recommendation algorithm on facebook dot com to only show negative news about the wrong candidate (or 90% negative) and only show positive news about the right candidate. They could have also made up excuses to ban right or left wing figures from facebook dot com. Stuff like that is possible to accomplish and get away with, but Zuckerberg was merciful to us this time.

If you don't want people to examine your software then don't give them your software.

The great thing about the right to modify is that it's a natural right. I can use uBlock Origin and no one can stop me unless they engineer a tyrannical system. Users reverse engineer programs and subvert restrictions because internet companies are notorious for breaking the law or crossing ethical boundaries without paying for it. EULAs often contain illegal clauses, so it's unreasonable to ask people to follow the EULA. At the end of the day users will (barring some Orwellian software restrictions imposed on everyone) do what they want and take whatever liberties they can to browse the internet without restrictions and without tracking if that's what they want. If internet companies didn't want this to happen, they shouldn't have fucked over consumers at every possible opportunity.

What is your assertion?

Corporations and corporate properties are not people and do not have a right to privacy--that's for real people.

Real talk: you do not and are never going to have privacy if you have a mobile phone. You are carrying a tracking device and feeding data to at least a dozen different companies and government agencies. No mobile app is compatible with privacy because the phone itself disintegrates privacy.

The United States Postal Service? Although it's illegal for them to open mail without a specific warrant.

Google[1] and Facebook[2] have sponsored the Republican party. Both have accepted ad contracts from Republican candidates.

[1] https://www.politico.com/story/2016/04/google-gop-convention... [2] https://fortune.com/2016/05/07/facebook-confirms-it-will-spo...

Yes, that is the implication. Saudi Arabia oppresses women.

Well if Edward Snowden weren't a CIA asset, how would you know? If there's no way for us to know if Edward Snowden is a CIA asset or not and he has every appearance of an independent actor, why should we care?

Has a school ever been successfully held liable for a school shooting?

And in 2024 they cancel the product line and cease all product support despite the large and passionate user base.

If you text people with Android phones, Google can read your text messages even if you don't use their products.

Snowden released a large collection of documents. Judging by his interview with Joe Rogan, he's a passionate advocate for encryption and says that the US is creating a tool for complete oppression. It's harder to get more apocalyptic than that.

how do I get in on this?

Democracy was a mistake. These people shouldn't be allowed to vote.

Facebook is already given the NSA instant access to all their significant user data. Do you think they're doing that for free?

I think it's good that you admit this. You're less likely to put yourself in a situation where you could do bad things.

Someone with a background in national intelligence would be very proficient at doing all of this.

Bribe the two guards with cash. Threaten to kill them and their families if they talk. It's pretty straightforward. Most people think that they are good people and would do the right thing in this situation, even though most people have no reason whatsoever to believe that they would act morally right if it became a serious sacrifice.

I'd like to remind people that "conspiracy theory" was a propaganda term coined and spread by the CIA in order to discredit people skeptical of the United States.