Tonight Frontline runs the second part of “United States of Secrets,” a documentary about the growth of mass surveillance since 9/11.
Part Two focuses on how the National Security Agency has used and abused its relationship with Big Tech. Not only does the N.S.A. depend on the tech firms to access the latest technology, it also takes advantage of the trust, naiveté and co-dependency of the Tech Moguls to push their “collect it all” agenda.
As with Part One, Part Two weaves its reporting into a “great chase” film starring Edward Snowden, the 29-year-old systems administrator who pulls back the curtain on the N.S.A. operation to reveal (of all things!) the power-games wannabe wizards of oz play with their shiny new Panopticon.
The film provides the basic information in a well-produced package. Not much new, but a good overview and summary of what we learned over the past year.
Part Two tonight on PBS. Otherwise see both parts here.