With respect to your experiences - is it not the actual use as opposed to the potential use. Cuba's administration would jail opponents or I prison or torture on the strength of surveillance. And this was known / publicised.

So the knowledge of the surveillance then kept people in line to the extent they feared the amount of retaliation brought.

If the UK government was to re-educate everyone who voted libdem then we would all know the extent to which the surveillance would be used - and then adjust our behaviours.

So it seems surveillance is always "in potentia", and oppression is enabled by it.

I'm not sure where I am going with this other than, don't feel disgust, just violently revolt the minute they over step "the" mark.