I don&#x27;t think most arguments against surveillance are necessarily implying that it is the reason that dictators rise, but instead it is one of many tools used to allow it to happen.<p>Furthermore, the fact that billions of people are voluntarily using social media, all stored on private company&#x27;s cloud servers, along with ML, massive computing increases gives those who&#x27;d use surveillance for power grabs exponentially more power than the Stasi, KGB, Hoover&#x27;s FBI, etc. could have ever dreamed of.