25 Years of Mass Surveillance Is Enough

Global Politics Tue, 15 Sep 2026 15:36:00 GMT Moderate confidence — 72/100

One of the many legacies of the terrorist attacks of Sept.
11 is the government-wide shift from targeted surveillance—such as individual wiretaps or pen register/trap and trace orders—to mass surveillance techniques—such as tapping into the internet backbone or mass collection of telephone or internet metadata.
The legal and technical architecture of modern mass surveillance, initially framed as a necessary defense against terrorist threats, has grown far beyond that justification and national security in general.

One of the many legacies of the terrorist attacks of Sept.
11 is the government-wide shift from targeted surveillance—such as individual wiretaps or pen register/trap and trace orders—to mass surveillance techniques—such as tapping into the internet backbone or mass collection of telephone or internet metadata.
The legal and technical architecture of modern mass surveillance, initially framed as a necessary defense against terrorist threats, has grown far beyond that justification and national security in general.

Sources: Schneier, Lawfaremedia