Civilians are now subject to an unprecedented level of surveillance. It would be a mistake to underestimate the probabilities of abuse of personal and private information. The &#x27;justifications&#x27; for spying are as endless as the means for carrying it out; in 2001 it was Al Queda, today it&#x27;s ISIL and tomorrow it will be something else. Exactly how these surveillance programs are implemented is beside the point. The results are very clearly a loss of privacy and freedom of expression. Whether or not you&#x27;re likely to become a security threat will be left to the interpretation of bureaucrats rummaging through your Evernote entries and text messages.