The new study documents how, in the wake of the 2013 Snowden revelations (of which 87% of Americans were aware), there was "a 20 percent decline in page views on Wikipedia articles related to terrorism, including those that mentioned 'al-Qaeda,' "car bomb' or 'Taliban.'" People were afraid to read articles about those topics because of fear that doing so would bring them under a cloud of suspicion. The dangers of that dynamic were expressed well by Penney: "If people are spooked or deterred from learning about important policy matters like terrorism and national security, this is a real threat to proper democratic debate."
As the Post explains, several other studies have also demonstrated how mass surveillance crushes free expression and free thought. A 2015 study examined Google search data and demonstrated that, post-Snowden, "users were less likely to search using search terms that they believed might get them in trouble with the US government" and that these "results suggest that there is a chilling effect on search behavior from government surveillance on the Internet."
Comment: GG wrote above: That's not quite what the evidence shows, Glenn. What it shows is that MASS AWARENESS OF the existence of a surveillance state breeds fear and conformity and stifles free expression.
Small but crucial difference.
This awareness only came about when you and your buddies were roped into that 'NSA Leaks' stunt in 2013.
Think about it Glenn... They used you:
Mission Accomplished? Snowden 'NSA Leak' had 'chilling effect' that scared people away from learning truth about terrorism
See also: