I think Stalin gained influence in part by &quot;having the goods&quot; on a lot of people, but I don&#x27;t have a citation on that. This didn&#x27;t happen in a democracy to begin with, however, there was much more open discussion and dissent within the ruling party before Stalin than after.<p>(I don&#x27;t have a firm opinion on what modern surveillance will do politically over time, just answering your specific question.)