TheBertinator3000

I'm not sure reporters or politicians are going to have good answers to your questions. You probably want to talk to cybersecurity experts, and maybe foreign policy/legal experts.

I'm none of the above, but I am pretty sure that existing American law actually does not allow the government unfettered access to people's data, like Chinese law does. As long as they're going through legal pathways (what federal agencies do illegally is a whole other conversation, but not one that's really relevant when we're talking about proposed laws), I'm pretty sure the US government needs subpoenas to get your social media data.

Feel free to fact check me on that, but it's probably a good starting point for your question.

You often won't be told, if the company gives them your data, but the process for them getting it is a little more involved than just telling the company to hand it over.

I am curious about what specific data you think the government is buying from social media companies on the open market. Do you have a source for that claim, so that I could read more?

I'm not sure about that first one, in all situations. I usually put more priority on other people's secrets, which are not mine to share, than my own.

Mostly, I try to live a life where I don't need many secrets, of my own.

I'm not yet denying your claims, but could you please provide a source to back them up?

Thanks! But I'm confused...

Where does that mention anything about the US Government buying data off of social media companies?

Did you maybe misread our conversation, when you jumped into this thread? We were talking about the US, not China.