--- title: "8 Mass Surveillance Quotes By Glenn Greenwald" description: "8 Mass Surveillance quotes by Glenn Greenwald. Plus more from Glenn Greenwald and more Mass Surveillance sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg" --- > [“mass surveillance kills dissent in a deeper and more important place as well: in the mind, where the individual trains him- or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-deeper-and-more-important-place/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg) > [“mass surveillance is a universal temptation for any unscrupulous power.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/mass-surveillance-is-a-universal-temptation-for-any-unscrupulous-power/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/glenn-greenwald-1215_surveillance_mass-surveillance-is-a-universal-temptat_398396.jpg) > [“No matter the specific techniques involved, historically mass surveillance has had several constant attributes. Initially, it is always the country’s dissidents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/no-matter-the-specific-techniques-involved-historically-mass/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f8f/glenn-greenwald-1215_quote_no-matter-the-specific-techniques-involv_956835.jpg) > [History shows that the mere existence of a mass surveillance apparatus, regardless of how it is used, is in itself sufficient to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/history-shows-that-the-mere-existence-of-a-mass-surveillance/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cce/glenn-greenwald-1215_citizenry_history-shows-that-the-mere-existence-of_2472814.jpg) > [No matter the specific techniques involved, historically mass surveillance has had several constant attributes. Initially, it is always the country’s dissidents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/no-matter-the-specific-techniques-involved-historically-mass-2/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f66/glenn-greenwald-1215_apathetic_no-matter-the-specific-techniques-involv_2475159.jpg) > [“Mass surveillance by the state is therefore inherently repressive, even in the unlikely case that it is not abused by vindictive officials…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/mass-surveillance-by-the-state-is-therefore-inherently-repressive/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a90/glenn-greenwald-1215_surveillance_mass-surveillance-by-the-state-is-theref_2933078.jpg) > [“this model of control has the great advantage of simultaneously creating the illusion of freedom. The compulsion to obedience exists in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/this-model-of-control-has-the-great-advantage-of-simultaneously/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/446/glenn-greenwald-1215_freedom_this-model-of-control-has-the-great-adva_2951439.jpg) > [“Surveillance cheerleaders essentially offer only one argument in defense of mass surveillance: it is only carried out to stop terrorism and keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/surveillance-cheerleaders-essentially-offer-only-one-argument-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/417/glenn-greenwald-1215_surveillance_surveillance-cheerleaders-essentially-of_2956725.jpg) ## Other authors on Mass Surveillance ## More by Glenn Greenwald > [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“The evidence shows that assurances that surveillance is only targeted at those who “have done something wrong” should provide little comfort, since a state…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-evidence-shows-that-assurances-that-surveillance-is-only-targeted/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“It's almost hard to imagine anything more undemocratic than the view that political officials should not debate American wars in public, but only express…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-almost-hard-to-imagine-anything-more-undemocratic-than-the-view/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [It's hardly news that the Obama administration is intensely and, in many respects, unprecedentedly hostile toward the news-gathering process.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/it-s-hardly-news-that-the-obama-administration-is-intensely-and-in/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Only In America can a renowned and devoted terrorism supporter like Peter King be the arbiter of national security and treason.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/only-in-america-can-a-renowned-and-devoted-terrorism-supporter-like/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Above even our physical well-being, a central value is keeping the state out of the private realm—our “persons, houses, papers, and effects,” as the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/above-even-our-physical-well-being-a-central-value-is-keeping-the/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“That capability at any time could be turned around on the American people and no American would have any privacy left, such is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/that-capability-at-any-time-could-be-turned-around-on-the-american/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Converting the Internet into a system of surveillance thus guts it of its core potential. Worse, it turns the Internet into a tool of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/converting-the-internet-into-a-system-of-surveillance-thus-guts-it-of/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“the desire for privacy is shared by us all as an essential, not ancillary, part of what it means to be human. We all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-desire-for-privacy-is-shared-by-us-all-as-an-essential-not/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [I don't have a 'side'—I'm responsible for what I say and nothing else.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/i-don-t-have-a-side-i-m-responsible-for-what-i-say-and-nothing-else/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Encryption matters, and it is not just for spies and philanderers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/encryption-matters-and-it-is-not-just-for-spies-and-philanderers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“Among other devices, the agency intercepts and tampers with routers and servers manufactured by Cisco to direct large amounts of Internet traffic back to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/among-other-devices-the-agency-intercepts-and-tampers-with-routers/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“NSA has increasingly made use of a secret technology that enables it to enter and alter data in computers even if they are not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/nsa-has-increasingly-made-use-of-a-secret-technology-that-enables-it/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [A key purpose of journalism is to provide an adversarial check on those who wield the greatest power by shining a light on what…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/a-key-purpose-of-journalism-is-to-provide-an-adversarial-check-on/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [“We all instinctively understand that the private realm is where we can act, think, speak, write, experiment, and choose how to be, away from…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/we-all-instinctively-understand-that-the-private-realm-is-where-we/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass-surveillance/glenn-greenwald/#itemlist", "name": "8 Mass Surveillance Quotes By Glenn Greenwald", "numberOfItems": 8, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“mass surveillance kills dissent in a deeper and more important place as well: in the mind, where the individual trains him- or herself to think only in line with what is expected and demanded.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn Greenwald" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-deeper-and-more-important-place/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/63c/glenn-greenwald-1215_dissent_mass-surveillance-kills-dissent-in-a-dee_165454.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“mass surveillance kills dissent in a deeper and more important place as well: in the mind, where the…” — Glenn Greenwald", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“mass surveillance is a universal temptation for any unscrupulous power.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Glenn Greenwald" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/mass-surveillance-is-a-universal-temptation-for-any-unscrupulous-power/", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/glenn-greenwald-1215_surveillance_mass-surveillance-is-a-universal-temptat_398396.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/glenn-greenwald-1215_surveillance_mass-surveillance-is-a-universal-temptat_398396.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/eba/glenn-greenwald-1215_surveillance_mass-surveillance-is-a-universal-temptat_398396.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“mass surveillance is a universal temptation for any unscrupulous power.” — Glenn Greenwald", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } } }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“No matter the specific techniques involved, historically mass surveillance has had several constant attributes. 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