zlacker

>>tokai+(OP)
Is Europe sliding into feudalism? The impression is that the government/megacorp complex are the lords, everyone else should accept their place as a serf and do whatever they’re told.

>>cobbzi+Sf
Where is the difference to the US, China or the UK?

Governments often try that kind of nonsense. Usually against organized crime, terrorism, child abuse.

But in the end it’s just used for the heavy crimes like copyright infringement

>>croes+5g
The US, at least, has a Bill of Rights that would make this illegal, it would definitely violate the 4th Amendment and maybe the 1st too.

>>cobbzi+kg
That said, it’s not all roses in the US. There are many backdoors the government uses like issuing subpoenas to tech companies to get their data. Sometimes (like the notorious NSLs, National Security Letters) the order is secret and the company can’t even talk about it. This is also why the Snowden revelations were significant— arguably what the NSA is doing (mass, untargeted surveillance) is illegal, but so far (iirc) courts have said nobody has standing to challenge it. Various groups are still trying.