--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Bringing an end to mass government…" description: "\"Bringing an end to mass government surveillance needs to be a central pillar of returning to the principles we have put in jeopardy in the early 21st c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/yochai-benkler-33032_21st-century_bringing-an-end-to-mass-government-surve_2921998.png" --- # Bringing an end to mass government surveillance needs to… ![“Bringing an end to mass government surveillance needs to be a central pillar of returning to the principles we have put in jeopardy in the early 21st century.” quote by Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/yochai-benkler-33032_21st-century_bringing-an-end-to-mass-government-surve_2921998.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/yochai-benkler-33032_21st-century_bringing-an-end-to-mass-government-surve_2921998.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/dc6/yochai-benkler-33032_21st-century_bringing-an-end-to-mass-government-surve_2921998.png) > “Bringing an end to mass government surveillance needs to be a central pillar of returning to the principles we have put in jeopardy in the early 21st century.” [Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yochai-benkler/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Mass surveillance erodes privacy; restoring foundational principles requires strong policy focus. **In simple terms:** Surveillance harms freedom. Key Takeaway Prioritize privacy protections. Themes privacy surveillance democracy Mood concerned determined Type analytical activist When to use this quote - legislation - public awareness - tech design Key Concepts law technology civil liberties Questions to Reflect On - What safeguards can protect privacy? - How to engage citizens in privacy debates? A Different Perspective Balancing security and privacy is complex. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Government surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government-surveillance/) [Jeopardy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/jeopardy/) [Mass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mass/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Principles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/principles/) [Surveillance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/surveillance/) ## Related quotes > [“Government surveillance is a blatant violation of our fundamental right to privacy, an intrusion into the sacred space where personal thoughts and actions unfold.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-william-steven-parker/government-surveillance-is-a-blatant-violation-of-our-fundamental/) [James William Steven Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-william-steven-parker/) > [Individuality, family, and community are, by definition, expressions of singular organization, never of "one-right-way" thinking on the grand scale. Children and families need some…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-taylor-gatto/individuality-family-and-community-are-by-definition-expressions-of/) [John Taylor Gatto](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-taylor-gatto/) > [“Government surveillance is an egregious violation of personal autonomy, leaving in its wake not only legal ramifications but a trail of emotional turmoil and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-william-steven-parker/government-surveillance-is-an-egregious-violation-of-personal/) [James William Steven Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-william-steven-parker/) > [“threat or actuality of government surveillance may psychologically inhibit freedom of speech.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/threat-or-actuality-of-government-surveillance-may-psychologically/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [Corporate and government surveillance aren't separate; they're an alliance of interests.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/corporate-and-government-surveillance-aren-t-separate-they-re-an/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [A big factor is that the enthusiast camp's values are really rooted in Silicon Valley and in these supposedly new business models. But again,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/astra-taylor/a-big-factor-is-that-the-enthusiast-camp-s-values-are-really-rooted/) [Astra Taylor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/astra-taylor/) > [“The record is suffused with examples of groups and individuals being placed under government surveillance by virtue of their dissenting views and activism—Martin Luther…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/the-record-is-suffused-with-examples-of-groups-and-individuals-being/) [Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/) > [The solution to government surveillance is to encrypt everything,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-schmidt/the-solution-to-government-surveillance-is-to-encrypt-everything/) [Eric Schmidt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-schmidt/) > [The framers of our Constitution understood the dangers of unbridled government surveillance. They knew that democracy could flourish only in spaces free from government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-holtzman/the-framers-of-our-constitution-understood-the-dangers-of-unbridled/) Elizabeth Holtzman > [“Government surveillance is a violation of our intrinsic right to privacy, a breach that extends beyond legal boundaries into the emotional terrain of fear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-william-steven-parker/government-surveillance-is-a-violation-of-our-intrinsic-right-to/) [James William Steven Parker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-william-steven-parker/) > [I think that has a lot of dangers, as does government surveillance, which is way too high.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-think-that-has-a-lot-of-dangers-as-does-government-surveillance/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Closed Circuit' came out of a general anxiety about surveillance. Government surveillance and private surveillance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-knight/closed-circuit-came-out-of-a-general-anxiety-about-surveillance/) [Steven Knight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-knight/) > [The nature of the government's surveillance on me and my family is forensically proven and not subject to legitimate question.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharyl-attkisson/the-nature-of-the-government-s-surveillance-on-me-and-my-family-is/) [Sharyl Attkisson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharyl-attkisson/) > [“Even though we don't know which companies the NSA has compromised – or by what means – knowing that they could have compromised any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-schneier/even-though-we-don-t-know-which-companies-the-nsa-has-compromised-or/) [Bruce Schneier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-schneier/) > [ “\[T\]here is both an intrinsic and instrumental value to privacy. Intrinsically, privacy is precious to the extent that it is a component of a… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-w-whitehead/t-here-is-both-an-intrinsic-and-instrumental-value-to-privacy/) [John W. Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-w-whitehead/) ## More by Yochai Benkler > [Anonymous is not an organization. It is an idea, a zeitgeist, coupled with a set of social and technical practices.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yochai-benkler/anonymous-is-not-an-organization-it-is-an-idea-a-zeitgeist-coupled/) [Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yochai-benkler/) > [Imperfection is a core dimension of freedom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yochai-benkler/imperfection-is-a-core-dimension-of-freedom/) [Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yochai-benkler/) > [Like crime, terrorism is a fact of life. I grew up in Israel, where every unattended bag was a suspected bomb; when my family…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yochai-benkler/like-crime-terrorism-is-a-fact-of-life-i-grew-up-in-israel-where/) [Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yochai-benkler/) > [As long as government is allowed to collect all Internet data, the perceived exigency will drive honest civil servants to reach more broadly and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yochai-benkler/as-long-as-government-is-allowed-to-collect-all-internet-data-the/) [Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yochai-benkler/) > [Seeing Anonymous primarily as a cybersecurity threat is like analyzing the breadth of the antiwar movement and 1960s counterculture by focusing only on the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yochai-benkler/seeing-anonymous-primarily-as-a-cybersecurity-threat-is-like/) [Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yochai-benkler/) > [Judges wear legal professionalism and precedent as a mantel that secures legitimacy for their decisions. 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If you leave a $50 check after dinner with friends, you don't increase the probability of being invited back.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/yochai-benkler/money-isn-t-always-the-best-motivator-if-you-leave-a-50-check-after/) [Yochai Benkler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/yochai-benkler/) > [We suffered a terrible blow on 11 September 2001. We responded with fear and anger. A fight-or-flight response is adaptive in any species. 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Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-j-clinton/) > [The hope of Internet anarchists was that repressive governments would have only two options: accept the Internet with its limitless possibilities of spreading information,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-singer/the-hope-of-internet-anarchists-was-that-repressive-governments-would/) [Peter Singer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-singer/) > [Maybe we need a tax credit for the poorest Americans to buy a laptop. Now, maybe that's wrong, maybe that's expensive, maybe we can't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/newt-gingrich/maybe-we-need-a-tax-credit-for-the-poorest-americans-to-buy-a-laptop/) [Newt Gingrich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/newt-gingrich/) > [The 20th century has been marked by cynicism, selfishness, greed, and the desire to please, all without changing the status quo. In the 21st…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/scar-arias/the-20th-century-has-been-marked-by-cynicism-selfishness-greed-and/) [Óscar Arias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/scar-arias/) > [I firmly believe that the mission of religion in the 21st century must be to contribute concretely to the peaceful coexistence of humankind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daisaku-ikeda/i-firmly-believe-that-the-mission-of-religion-in-the-21st-century/) [Daisaku Ikeda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daisaku-ikeda/) > [Facebook, Twitter...Welcome to The 21st Century...Where Someone can stalk you without leaving the couch!..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/facebook-twitter-welcome-to-the-21st-century-where-someone-can-stalk/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Human Race is all over universe! And I am the first person to inform you. I am the most influential person of this decade…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashwani-kumar-ojha/human-race-is-all-over-universe-and-i-am-the-first-person-to-inform/) [Ashwani Kumar Ojha](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashwani-kumar-ojha/) > [Like the railroads that brought us together in the 19th century, these trails will bring us together in the 20th and 21st centuries. (at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/like-the-railroads-that-brought-us-together-in-the-19th-century-these/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [What I love about making albums in the 21st century is that so few people buy albums! 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