That's the neat part when you blur the lines between the government and the private sector. So-called leaders who are interested in power, control, and "winning" more than upholding their oaths of office can just use the private sector to do the things the government is restricted from doing. Then when their businesses can't compete on their own, they can lean on the legal + force options the government has.
I'm starting to think this habit we have of electing selfish sociopathic bad-faith actors to powerful positions of service is less than optimal.
Yep. My disdain for the combination of fascist government where everything is surveillance, and sociopathic corporations and billionaires where everything is a cynical cash grab, overcame me excitement for tech "products" a long time ago. I'm in the US so it's especially bad.
I still have a smart phone that's 4-5 years old, and I do of course use it every day, but I consciously avoid using it every hour. I love when I misplace it in my own house, to then not look for it for hours. The only person who is going to message me anything urgent is my wife and she knows where to find me.
Constant phone addiction is one of those situations where when you remove yourself from it you can more easily see it in others. It's like there's a new form of body language where when you see that slight forward tilt of the head you know they are in the Phone Zone without even seeing the rest of their body.