Big data or big lies?

The global espionage has become a global trawling.
States and agencies are collecting big data, but why?
Results, in terms of security, are difficult to appreciate.
For sure, costs are impressive, and furthermore it is unacceptable that our leaders do not know nor details, neither the extent of these illegal activities.
Should we believe spies on their parole, when they say they do all the stuff to protect us? Or, are they threatening our privacy, freedom, life?
In such a mess, we see only room for arbitrariness, blackmail and corruption.
This is the shutdown we can agree with, in a bipartisan way.