ConspiracyTheory.net

The Surveillance State

Edward Snowden proved that the NSA was collecting virtually all domestic communications. That was 2013. Since then, the surveillance apparatus has only expanded -- facial recognition, predictive policing, smart device monitoring, and programs most of us still don't know about. These are the theories that turned out to be uncomfortably close to the truth.

10 theories in this list

1
NSA PRISM — Mass Surveillance of Internet Users
Confirmed

NSA PRISM — Mass Surveillance of Internet Users

The confirmed NSA program revealed by Edward Snowden in 2013, collecting data from Google, Facebook, Apple, Microsoft, and other tech companies.

2007 · United States
2
Confirmed

NSA Domestic Spying

2001 · United States
3
NSA XKeyscore — Search Engine for Global Internet
Confirmed

NSA XKeyscore — Search Engine for Global Internet

NSA's XKeyscore lets analysts search through emails, chats, browsing history, and social media of nearly any internet user worldwide. Confirmed by Snowden documents.

2008 · United States
4
Confirmed

Five Eyes — Global Surveillance Alliance

The UKUSA intelligence-sharing agreement between US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand creates a global SIGINT network that enables each nation to spy on the others' citizens, circumventing domestic surveillance laws.

1946 · United States
5
ECHELON — Cold War Global Intercept Network
Confirmed

ECHELON — Cold War Global Intercept Network

ECHELON was a Cold War-era signals intelligence network operated by the Five Eyes alliance. Confirmed by the European Parliament in 2001 to intercept global communications.

1966 · United States
6
Total Information Awareness — DARPA Mass Surveillance Program
Confirmed

Total Information Awareness — DARPA Mass Surveillance Program

How John Poindexter's Total Information Awareness program was publicly defunded by Congress in 2003 but reportedly continued under classified programs. Confirmed history examined.

2002 · United States
7
Pegasus Spyware — NSO Group State Surveillance Tool
Confirmed

Pegasus Spyware — NSO Group State Surveillance Tool

NSO Group's Pegasus spyware — sold only to governments — was confirmed by Amnesty International and Citizen Lab to have targeted journalists, activists, and politicians in 50+ countries.

2016 · Israel
8
Confirmed

NSA Utah Data Center — Capturing All Communications

The NSA's massive Utah Data Center in Bluffdale stores unprecedented volumes of intercepted communications. Confirmed by Snowden documents and official admissions.

2013 · United States
9
Total Surveillance State
Confirmed

Total Surveillance State

The confirmed reality that intelligence agencies conduct mass surveillance of digital communications globally, with theorists arguing the scope goes far beyond what Snowden revealed.

1945 · United States
10
GCHQ Tempora — UK Taps All Undersea Internet Cables
Confirmed

GCHQ Tempora — UK Taps All Undersea Internet Cables

Snowden documents revealed GCHQ's Tempora program tapped fiber-optic cables carrying internet traffic through the UK, storing content for 3 days and metadata for 30 days.

2011 · United Kingdom