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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kenjib" data-source="post: 582114" data-attributes="member: 530">The abuse does not come into play regarding illegal activity.  It comes into play regarding the misuse of data collected regarding perfectly legal activities and the discrimination that results.  People within the government abuse such priviledges for political gain.  This is not conspiracy theory, but simple historical fact.  If you are interested do some research on J. Edgar Hoover and Joseph McCarthy to start with.Broad allowances in the invasion of privacy usually leads to infringement on freedom of speech and other freedoms.  It's a recurring theme in American History.  There are older examples.  There are also more current examples but that is not for discussion on this message board.Should one just give these powers away naively based on the assumption that people in positions of power are uncorruptable and will do no wrong?  To do so is to deny human nature.  To cede these rights to private parties, such as corporations, is no less dangerous than to cede them to public ones.</blockquote>