I don't think it's arguable that collecting every piece of data on every citizen could be a benefit to national security. It's just the associated cost to privacy that makes it utterly horrendous.
Maybe Stalin, Hitler, Himmler, J. E. Hoover,
the Stasi, etc. would all agree
that having all the data would help
them build a surveillance state
they would like.
Still, no matter who does/doesn't not
like having all that data collected,
for the Federal Government to
be able to demand that data strikes
me as a gross violation of the Fourth
Amendment.
Legal cases are being brought;
maybe a case will make it to the SCOTUS;
and maybe the SCOTUS will strike down
as unconstitutional the laws that
enabled such data collection.
I can't find anywhere in the Constitution
how nice would be to have a Stasi
surveillance state and have to
conclude that the US founding fathers
did not desire such a thing.
Anytime a clear majority of active voters
want to have this situation turned
around, around it will come, quickly.
