The inefficient use of billions of dollars in resources toward surveillance that targets a whole population, the majority of whom are law-abiding citizens, based on racial stereotypes does not prevent terrorism. Instead, it strips citizens of their civil rights and the civil liberties they should be afforded through citizenship. When a society supports national security over civil liberties and expands the power of the state, freedom and democracy are weakened.

QUESTION: Are there credible empirical studies measuring whether population-wide surveillance actually reduces terrorist attacks relative to its costs?

Saher Selod, Forever Suspect_ Racialized…, loc. 480