From mass data collection to AI-driven analysis, surveillance capabilities are expanding beyond the post-Snowden era
More than a decade after the Snowden disclosures exposed large-scale government surveillance, leading security technologist Bruce Schneier warns that state monitoring has not diminished — it has evolved. According to Schneier, advances in artificial intelligence are enabling governments to move from mass data collection into what he describes as “bulk spying,” a far more powerful and intrusive model.
The 2013 revelations surrounding the PRISM program showed how intelligence agencies accessed vast amounts of user data from major technology platforms. While public outrage led to legal reforms and greater awareness, Schneier argues that the volume and granularity of collected data have since exploded.
Today’s digital exhaust including location data, communications metadata and behavioral signals — offers a far more detailed picture of individual lives than was possible a decade ago.
Bruce Schneier told Cointelegraph’s Not Dead Yet show;
What fundamentally changes the equation is AI’s ability to transcribe, summarize and analyze massive datasets automatically. Schneier states that this allows governments to move beyond passive surveillance into active, large-scale intelligence extraction. He asserts that major global powers are already deploying such systems, making bulk spying not hypothetical, but operational.
Recent investigations have demonstrated how commercially sold mobile data can be used to track sensitive individuals, including security personnel and political figures. This highlights how surveillance capitalism has become deeply intertwined with state intelligence capabilities.
Despite the bleak outlook, Schneier notes a growing public backlash against privacy erosion. Increased awareness, regulatory pressure and demand for privacy-preserving technologies suggest that today’s practices may eventually be viewed as ethically unacceptable relics of an earlier digital age.
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