Before Snowden, I think absence of evidence could often be construed as evidence of absence.
But I think that ship has well and truly sailed.
We now know that, behind closed doors in classified places, every bad thing we imagined might be happening, _was_ happening, and then some, beyond the scale of the wildest imaginations of the most paranoid activists. And then some, and then some.
The fact that we don't have proof of _this_ particular bad thing, which is entirely possible and downright trivial and could actually be the entire purpose for which the functionality was designed, should in no way suggest that the capability isn't being used.
Ten years ago, I could see that being a reasonable argument. Now it just rings as blindingly naive.
But I think that ship has well and truly sailed.
We now know that, behind closed doors in classified places, every bad thing we imagined might be happening, _was_ happening, and then some, beyond the scale of the wildest imaginations of the most paranoid activists. And then some, and then some.
The fact that we don't have proof of _this_ particular bad thing, which is entirely possible and downright trivial and could actually be the entire purpose for which the functionality was designed, should in no way suggest that the capability isn't being used.
Ten years ago, I could see that being a reasonable argument. Now it just rings as blindingly naive.