Mass surveillance

Mass surveillance is the intricate surveillance of an entire or a substantial fraction of a population in order to monitor that group of citizens. The surveillance is often done via the use of technologies that collect data on a large mass of individuals.

Mass surveillance has often been cited by intelligence agencies – for example, the American National Security Agency (NSA) – as necessary to fight terrorism, and to prevent crime and social unrest. At the same time, mass surveillance has equally often been criticized for violating privacy rights, limiting civil and political rights and freedoms, and being illegal under some legal or constitutional systems. Another criticism is that increasing mass surveillance could potentially lead to the development of a surveillance state, an electronic police state, or a totalitarian state wherein civil liberties are infringed or political dissent is undermined by COINTELPRO-like programs. Mass surveillance is considered a global issue.