If the ability exists, what's to stop them from using it? Good manners?
And what's the incentive for someone to tell us, if they are? Become another Snowden or Assange or Manning? Not a very compelling outcome...
And what's the incentive for someone to tell us, if they are? Become another Snowden or Assange or Manning? Not a very compelling outcome...
The prosecution and police can't simply use inappropriate evidence. In some cases it's possible (and worth the effort) to do 'parallel construction' by getting a warrant for some other evidence confirming the same thing, but it's not something that can be done at scale without it being obvious.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Foreign_Intellig...
[1]: https://innocenceproject.org/guilty-pleas-on-the-rise-crimin...
Anything that can make your life harder will do. They can find something that:
- will put a you in a difficult position with friends and family
- break trust in a business relationship
- destroy your reputation in regard of the public
- trigger costly investigations from a 3rd party
- pressure you and take your energy, moral, money, time and health in the process