Thrandos wrote:Which leads to the question, in which country(ies) would we be hypothetically be free from such surveillance? From what I know, definitely not the US or the UK. I think we can expect that most governments do keep plenty of personal data on their citizens and most would readily have access to truckloads more personal details if they should ever turn tyrannical and feel the urge to use said information maliciously.
I don't know, I doubt anywhere that might be popularly considered civilised. Although in the latter they do seem to have protections like requiring a Court Order to tap communications, and so on. A moot point in case of war etc of course.
Wouldn't it be ironic if you were freest from state intrusion only in those countries too poor or shambolic to implement it on a centralised state-wide basis (they being the Banana Republics with a track record as long as your arm, for carrying on such manual state-wide monitoring in previous times).
It's not a thing that bothers me 'back home' as we at least notionally have freedom of speech. The idea of the state wishing to hang anyone out to dry, via it's own state owned media, for a throw-away comment on Facebook doesn't figure back home.
Unless you lived off the grid like John Connor or Jack Reacher, I don't think there's many places in this day and age we could hide.[/quote]