Top NSA whistleblower William Binney \u2014 the former head of the National Security Agency\u2019s global digital data gathering program \u2014 has repeatedly explained that just because you \u201chaven\u2019t done anything wrong\u201d doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t be severely harmed by spying:<\/p>\n
\nThe problem is, if they think they\u2019re not doing anything that\u2019s wrong, they don\u2019t get to define that. The central government does.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Binney explains that the government is storing everything<\/em>, and creating a searchable database \u2026 to be used whenever it wants, for any purpose it wants<\/a> (even just going after someone it doesn\u2019t like).<\/p>\n
And he notes that the government will go after anyone who is on its enemies list:<\/p>\n
\nIf you ever get on their enemies list, like Petraeus did, then you can be drawn into that surveillance.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Binney recently held his thumb and forefinger close together, and said<\/a>:<\/p>\n
\nWe are, like, that far from a turnkey totalitarian state<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Similarly, in response to the question, \u201cwhy should people care about surveillance?\u201d, the whistleblower source of the Guardian\u2019s disclosures on phone and Internet spying \u2014 Edward Snowden \u2014 said:<\/p>\n
\nBecause even if you\u2019re not doing anything wrong you\u2019re being watched and recorded. And the storage capability of these systems increases every year consistently by orders of magnitude \u2026 to where it\u2019s getting to the point where you don\u2019t have to have done anything wrong<\/strong>. You simply have to eventually fall under suspicion from somebody \u2014 even by a wrong call. And then they can use this system to go back in time and scrutinize every decision you\u2019ve ever made, every friend you\u2019ve ever discussed something with. And attack you on that basis to sort to derive suspicion from an innocent life and paint anyone<\/span> in the context of a wrongdoer<\/strong>.<\/p>\n
[If people don’t oppose the surveillance state now] it will be turnkey tyranny.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n