Z:gnu-www-ja-free-digital-society--a6ba40-But computerized surveillance/en

But computerized surveillance makes it possible to centralize and index all this information so that an unjust regime can find it all, and find out all about everyone. If a dictator takes power, which could happen anywhere, people realize this and they recognize that they should not communicate with other dissidents in a way that the State could find out about. But if the dictator has several years of stored records of who talks with whom, it's too late to take any precautions then, because he already has everything he needs to realize: &ldquo;OK, this guy is a dissident, and he spoke with him. Maybe he is a dissident too. Maybe we should grab him and torture him.&rdquo;